As St. Joseph Justice Center’s Seventh Annual Summer Public Witness draws to a close, we look back and remind ourselves that the fight to support our migrant brothers and sisters is ongoing.
St. Joseph Worker Cindy Nguyen attended her first Summer Public Witness event on August 20th. “I met with other volunteers in the parking lot by the Sisters of St. Joseph’s auditorium. Public Witness began with the volunteers reciting a prayer for immigrants and refugees all over the world. Then we gathered signs that read, ‘Jesus was an immigrant,’ and ‘Build bridges, not walls’ and stood in a line on La Veta Avenue. As we held up our signs, we sang along to Christian hymns.” Drivers on La Veta Avenue honked their horns to show their support. Following an hour proclaiming on the busy street, participants returned to the parking lot to say a closing prayer.
The last Public Witness event for this year will be held on September 17th. By drawing a connection between the struggles of Jesus Christ and his followers with the plight facing immigrants and refugees, these demonstrations encourage people of all faiths to make America a more welcoming country.
The Sisters of St. Joseph promote the values of Catholic Social Teaching, which state that every human person has the right to dignity and protection. This includes every immigrant and refugee, whether they are documented or not. When these people flee their homelands, it is often because they are escaping war, poverty, or persecution. They cannot remain where they are if they want to raise their families in peace. According to Pope John XXIII, “Every human being has the right to freedom of movement and of residence within the confines of his own country; and, when there are just reasons for it, the right to emigrate to other countries and take up residence there.” While Catholic Social Teaching acknowledges a country’s sovereign right to protect their borders, it also stresses that this right cannot come at the expense of the individual rights of asylum seekers. No one at the border should be subjected to abuse and squalor while awaiting due process of the law.
Currently, the House of Representatives and the Senate have presented a pair of bills called the Renewing Immigration Provisions of the Immigration Act of 1929 (HR 1511 and S.2606). These bills would update section 249 of the Immigration and Nationality Act and give permanent resident status to anyone who has lived in the country for at least seven years. If this passes, around 8 million undocumented immigrants residing and working in the U.S. would receive permanent residence. Those living in U.S. due to DACA or Temporary Protection Status would finally be given a permanent solution to their uncertain citizenship status.
Even though the Seventh Annual Summer Public Witness has ended, we can still support our undocumented brothers and sisters. You can contact your legislators and ask them to pass HR 1511 and S.2606. You can also join national campaigns like All in for the Registry to help fight for all immigrants who contribute to this nation.
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