Episcopal Liaison

Most Reverend
David A. Zubik, DD
Bishop of Pittsburgh

Chair
Sr. Linda Yankoski

Vice Chair
Marguerite Harmon

Secretary
Elida El-Gawly

Treasurer
Charles Cornelio

President
Fr. Larry Snyder






July 25, 2014

Dear Member of Congress,

Last week, I visited the border between Texas and Mexico, where I saw first-hand the
tremendous need caused by the influx of migrant children and families from Central
America, and the dedicated response efforts of agencies like Catholic Charities of the
Rio Grande Valley. That visit only underscored the importance of ensuring that our
nation does what is right and provides adequate funding to ensure that these
unaccompanied children are treated fairly and humanely. As a result, and on behalf of
the more than 160 Catholic Charities agencies across the country, I urge you to pass a
supplemental that ensures appropriate resources to effectively deal with this
humanitarian crisis.

According to new data from the Pew Research Center, the numbers of unaccompanied
children caught trying to cross the U.S.-Mexico border has increased by 117 percent this
fiscal year compared to the last. Therefore, fully funding efforts to care for these
children, including post-release care, would go a long way towards treating these young
migrants and families with the respect and dignity they deserve.

In particular, Catholic Charities USA asks Congress to do the following:
Oppose changes to current law that would undermine due process protections
for unaccompanied children arriving from non-contiguous countries.
Oppose the placement of families into detention facilities and provide increased
funding for community-based alternatives to detention.
Increase funding for legal representation for children and immigration court
teams.
Support funding for the Office of Refugee Resettlement but ensure funds are
used for vital social services.
Provide funding to operate an orderly departure program in the region.

Addressing the root causes of this problem and building a long-term solution by fair and
comprehensive reform of our nations broken immigration system are both necessary
steps to take as well. We are reminded of the words of our Holy Father, Pope Francis,
who told us that this challenge demands the attention of the entire international
community so that new forms of legal and secure migration may be adopted. This crisis
is an opportunity for our nation to lead the way.

These children may have broken our current law to get here, but our nations
compassion and humanity will be measured by how we treat them going forward. We
cannot ignore their pleas for help. Passing a supplemental to address this crisis would be
an important first step.

Sincerely,


Fr. Larry Snyder
President
Catholic Charities USA