Migration

Just as the coldest weather in more than 30 years brought new misery to asylum-seekers stranded in a refugee camp in Mexico, an end to their plight may be in sight.

Democrats formally introduced one of the most ambitious plans to date to address legal and illegal immigration in the U.S., while at the same time signaling limits for those currently attempting to enter without documentation at the southern border.

At the Gateway International Bridge that links Brownsville, Texas, to Matamoros, Mexico, a group of volunteers and Catholic sisters pull portable carts with diapers, tents, food and supplies.

The Supreme Court will not hear two scheduled arguments this term on immigration examining policies put in place by the Trump administration.

President Joe Biden's executive orders aimed at rebuilding the U.S. immigration system, restoring due process and recognizing the dignity of newcomers illustrate his "commitment to prioritize assisting our immigrant and refugee brothers and sisters," said the head of the U.S. bishops' migration committee.

While new U.S. President Joe Biden is still reviewing immigration directives from his predecessor, policy watchers expect a more immigrant-friendly path forward as well as help for some families adversely affected by Trump administration policies. But that path forward still is not clear.

Mexican officials found 19 charred bodies in two burned-out vehicles Jan. 23 in municipality of Camargo, an area rife with organized crime activity, which sits opposite the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. It's considered a popular spot for smugglers working with organized criminal groups to move migrants across the border.

The leaders of two U.S. bishops' committees applauded President Joe Biden's executive order reversing a policy of the previous administration that excluded unauthorized immigrants from the census count.

When President-elect Joe Biden takes office in January, he will embark on pursuing a policy agenda for Central America that many Catholic organizations have long supported.