Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc.

By: Jennie Guilfoyle

By Julia Alanen

Each year in the United States, underage girls are forced into marriages by their parents or close family members. This practice has garnered little attention in the U. S., to date.

Contributions by: Peggy Gleason, Yen Le, Kristina Karpinski, and James Porter

“On a recent visit to Miami to teach at a CLINIC training, I was impressed all over again by the great work of the Miami Catholic Charities immigration legal services,” says Peggy Gleason, Training and Legal Support Attorney for CLINIC. The program is located at ground zero for the multitude of Haiti assistance efforts that have sprung up since the January 12 earthquake. A third of the more than twenty people who work at the immigration program are Haitian in origin.

A New Decade, A Renewed Push for Reform, and Tragedy Strikes Haiti:  January in Immigration News

On Start of 2010 Census – CLINIC Urges Full Participation

This year, the U.S. Census has a BIG job. Starting January 25, it’s counting EVERYONE that lives in the United States. This only happens once every 10 years and it’s a big deal.

January  17, 2010 marks the 96th World Day of Migrants and Refugees.   In a statement prepared for the day, Pope Benedict XVI said:

The International Labor Organization (ILO) estimates that there are “12.3 million adults and children in forced labor, bonded labor, and commercial sexual servitude at any given time.  Of these victims, the ILO estimates that at least 1.39 million are victims of commercial sexual servitude.”[1]  More than 56% of all victims of human traff

In view of this week’s introduction of legislation for comprehensive immigration reform, it seems appropriate that on International Migrants Day, we take a moment to recognize the struggles, contributions, and other issues that face people on the move.

November seemed like a shorter month perhaps due to the Thanksgiving holiday.

Refugees in America: A Thanksgiving Reflection