Take up weeping and wailing for the mountains, and a lamentation for the pastures of the wilderness, because they are laid waste so that no one passes through, and the lowing of cattle is not heard; both the birds of the air and the animals have fled and are gone. (Jeremiah 9:10)…
During this time of Advent, as millions of refugees face an uncertain future and thousands of asylum seekers wait to enter the United States, some communities are reaffirming their commitment to helping newcomers find safe homes. On December 9, a Burleigh County Council hearing in North Dakota was standing room only as hundreds voiced their…
October 31, 2019 Read in Spanish More border wall construction as spending debates continue Congress passed a continuing resolution last month to keep the federal government running until November 21. Another continuing resolution until December or into 2020 is likely. One significant point of debate continues to be funding for more border walls. In Fiscal Year 2019,…
On July 16, the Trump administration released a new regulation requiring asylum seekers arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border to have requested asylum, and been denied, in at least one country they traveled through before asking for asylum in the U.S. (The rule does not apply to Mexican asylum seekers who do not need to travel through a…
Read in Spanish September 26, 2019 Sweeping asylum ban goes into effect On Sept. 11, the U.S. Supreme Court allowed a new policy to go into effect that essentially blocks all asylum seekers except those from Mexico. The decision has tragic implications for asylum seekers from Central America and beyond. Asylum seekers arriving after July 15 must have requested…
August 29, 2019 Read in Spanish Stories of hate, stories of hope El Paso A cruel mix of gun violence and anti-immigrant vitriol resulted in the deaths of 22 people in El Paso, Texas, on August 3 at the hands of a shooter clearly targeting Hispanics. In addition to the tragic loss of lives, the shooting…
Recent stories of immigrant children in cage-like structures at the border and photos of a father and his young daughter drowned in the Rio Grande River have pulled at our heartstrings and led to questions about U.S. policies toward those seeking asylum, or safety, at our borders. While the rhetoric has become increasingly polarized, it is important to remember that this…
Read more Peace on the Hill – “A safe and propitious asylum”
MCC Washington Memo 