Two decades ago, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Migration and CLINIC’s Board of Directors partnered to promote comprehensive immigration reform with an emphasis on legalization – a major public policy priority within the U.S. Catholic Church. As part of the Church’s response to this need, a diverse group of Catholic organizations with national networks joined the USCCB’s “Justice for Immigrants: A Journey of Hope” campaign, which was designed to unite and mobilize a growing network of Catholic institutions and individuals in support of a broad legalization program and comprehensive immigration reform. With the goal of maximizing the Church’s influence on the issue, it was consistent with the immigration reform principles enunciated in the bishops’ January 2003 pastoral letter Strangers No Longer: Together on the Journey of Hope. From the beginning, CLINIC provided staff support to help the Justice For Immigrants (JFI) campaign reach its goals. The campaigns primary objectives were to:

1. Educate the public, especially the Catholic community, about the Church’s teaching on migration and immigrants;
2. Create political will for positive immigration reform;
3. Enact legislative and administrative reforms based on the principles of articulated by the bishops; and
4. Organize Catholic networks to assist qualified immigrants obtain the benefits of the reforms.

Today, CLINIC remains part a robust membership of organizations to ensure the JFI reaches its goals and accomplishes its mission. Together we can create a world where immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers are treated with dignity, respect, and welcome.