Media CenterCRS and 400 Hispanic Leaders Will Ask the Senate to Prioritize Solutions for the Root Causes of Migration

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:
Beatriz Afanador
Catholic Relief Services
[email protected]
 

WASHINGTON, D.C., April 25, 2022 – Nearly 400 Hispanic Catholic leaders will join Catholic Relief Services (CRS) Wednesday to urge senators from 30 states to prioritize addressing the root causes of migration in Central America. Through face-to-face and virtual meetings, the group will ask lawmakers to prioritize effective solutions to tackle climate change and food insecurity and create job opportunities and peaceful communities in the region.

“Violence, lack of economic opportunities, and climate change have devastated communities and livelihoods in Central America, forcing thousands of families to emigrate,” said Roberto Navarro, senior director of U.S. church engagement at CRS. “Recurring droughts and extreme weather events have hit the region, severely damaging its infrastructure, increasing poverty and food insecurity. Effectively addressing the causes of migration will create more opportunity and provide the hope people need to live and thrive in their home communities.”

The Hispanic Catholic group will also ask their senators for legislation that provides a path to citizenship for DREAMERS and Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) holders and the legalization of agricultural workers and other undocumented essential workers.

“Pope Francis tells us that this a new era, where we must assume our mission. This is the time for the Latino community to assume its leadership and one way to do so is through advocacy,” said Elisabeth Román, president of the National Catholic Council of Hispanic Ministry (NCCHM). “Migration is one of the most important human rights issues in this country. We cannot continue seeing it only as statistics, it is about people, about children of God,” she added.

The mobilization of the 400 Hispanic Catholics will occur within the framework of the Sixth National Catholic Congress of Hispanic Ministry, titled “Raíces y Alas” (Roots and Wings), organized by the NCCHM. The council brings together Hispanic ministry leaders, representatives from national Catholic organizations and movements, and parish leaders from every diocese in the United States every five years.

Guided by its Catholic faith, CRS is building a movement of passionate individuals across the U.S. who will take action to combat global poverty, violence and injustice. As part of this movement, CRS launched campaigns focused on the world’s most pressing issues in September 2019. Since then, thousands of U.S. constituents have come together to be prophetic advocates for justice and the common good.

CRS Chapters and high school Clubs serve a special role in the transformational work of CRS and the Church around the world. More than 100 chapters and clubs with 885 members have launched since the start of the campaigns. Members support people in need by advocating legislation that will end global poverty, raising funds to support emergent needs around the world and praying for an end to unjust societies.

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Catholic Relief Services is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. The agency alleviates suffering and provides assistance to people in need in more than 100 countries, without regard to race, religion or nationality. CRS’ relief and development work is accomplished through programs of emergency response, HIV, health, agriculture, education, microfinance and peacebuilding. For more information, visit www.crs.org or www.crsespanol.org and follow Catholic Relief Services on social media in English at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube; and in Spanish at: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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