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As the first-ever American pope takes to the throne of St. Peter on Sunday, immigration advocates in the Valley hope his past can bring change to the future.

“As we’re beginning to learn more about Pope Leo, we have someone who understands the American context and the Latin American context,” said Joe Rubio, the director at Arizona Interfaith Network.

Pope Francis meeting with Rabbi Lyon. He and Bishop John Ogletree (photo below) are leaders with TMO and wrote this article.

[Originally published in Houston Chronicle]

Last year, Pope Francis met with a group of 15 or so Houston community organizers and leaders in his private residence. It was the third time he’d met with us, members of The Metropolitan Organization (TMO) of Houston and colleagues from the West/Southwest Industrial Areas Foundation. This time, he counseled us not to lose the ability to laugh.

Pope Francis greets Silvia Camacho, a leader with San Juan Diego Catholic Church in Montana Vista, in a 2022 meeting at the Vatican. (Photo courtesy of Rabbi John Linder)

[Originally published in El Paso Matters]

Father Pablo Matta was just a young seminarian when he attended an El Paso Interreligious Sponsoring Organization (EPISO) meeting at Santa Lucia Catholic Church (now St. John Paul II) in 1985. At the meeting, local leaders were gearing up for a big fight – thousands of people in the colonias of El Paso had been sold parcels of land with the promise of utility services – water, sewer and gas – only to learn that they had been swindled by unscrupulous developers.

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Widespread fear lingers in the immigrant community...after the Trump Administration announced it would allow immigration enforcement arrests in locations including churches and schools.

“In January, when I saw Border Patrol vehicles up here, it got my attention,” says Bishop Joseph Brennan with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fresno. “It didn’t feel right, it didn’t look right. And my immigration status is good.”

While the uncertainty lingers, the Diocese of Fresno is meeting with government leaders, law enforcement, and the Central Valley Industrial Areas Foundation to brainstorm on how to build – and repair-- community trust....

[Photo Credit: Byron Solorio, FOX26]

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St. Francis Xavier hosted the first of several “Know Your Rights” sessions in January. These sessions, facilitated by VIP, empower immigrants by helping them understand their constitutional rights. VIP also ran a session to provide more information on immigration policies that are unfolding. 

Ildefonso Magaña, a parishioner at St. Francis Xavier, shared that his involvement in VIP has given him a new wave of hope as it provides crucial help to the Hispanic community. He also greatly appreciates the support of pastor, Fr. Bob Fambrini, SJ, whose involvement in these efforts has inspired him.  

“I have hope because the Church and different organizations [like Valley Interfaith Project] are activating themselves to help us..., shared Magaña."

Local Parishes Partner with Valley Interfaith Project to Support Parishioners on the Margins, The Catholic Sun [pdf]

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Omaha Together One Community (OTOC) leaders conducted more than 100 meetings over the past three years with Nebraska agricultural, health-care, labor, education, hospitality, philanthropic, faith, construction, immigrant, legal, banking, and community leaders to learn more about our workforce needs.

We learned [for example] that an owner of a dairy farm had been awake for almost 48 hours milking his cows because his short-term immigrant staff had to leave Nebraska when their work visas expired. We heard of immigrants with work visas who can come to the U.S. with their families, but their spouses and working-age children are not allowed to work....

According to a recent study funded by the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce Foundation, 'There is universal and widespread business support for immigration reform as a means to address the workforce gap in Nebraska....'

As result of these meetings, a statewide non-partisan alliance has formed. The Nebraska Alliance for Thriving Communities includes leaders from across the state. This 70-member Alliance agrees on a common-sense set of immigration priorities to enrich our communities and address Nebraska’s workforce shortage.

The Central Valley IAF Sponsoring Committee made a significant stride as over 300 people from across Fresno County gathered for a bilingual community assembly—the largest action that local leaders have organized thus far. 

Conducted in both English and Spanish, the event drew residents, faith leaders, and local officials, reflecting the rich diversity of the area.

Republican and Democratic candidates for federal office committed to advance reforms in immigration, childcare access, and humanitarian parole.  State issues included access to drivers’ licenses and unemployment insurance, and preservation of ballot initiatives. All issues emerged from a conversation campaign of over 150 meetings across the state. 

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Nearly 400 leaders of Omaha Together One Community (OTOC) member institutions met Sunday (Oct. 20) at St. Pius X Catholic Church with eleven candidates for U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representatives and State Legislature as OTOC sought commitments to support solutions on key issues important to the membership....

OTOC leaders presented their personal stories illustrating the need for: the creation of pathways to permanency for long-term immigrant Nebraskans; the reauthorization of the Child Care and Development Block Grant program to expand access to childcare; and for the creation of a humanitarian parole program for the Sudanese.  Representative Don Bacon, State Senator Tony Vargas, and Preston Love Jr. unanimously supported all three Federal OTOC initiatives.

OTOC leaders again presented State Legislative candidates with their personal stories illustrating the need for: expanding drivers’ licenses to all Nebraska residents; expanding access to unemployment insurance for all work-authorized Nebraskans; and protecting the role of citizens by preserving the ballot initiative process.... 

[Photo Credit: Cass Opal]

Photo Gallery

In a Tight Presidential Race, Omaha is Basking in its Political Relevance, New York Times [pdf]

Candidates Commit to Pro-Immigrant Causes at Omaha Coalition's Accountability Session, KETV 7 Omaha [pdf]

Nonpartisan Organization Omaha Together One Community Hosts a Candidate Accountability Session, KMTV 3 Omaha [pdf]

OTOC Agenda Gets Unanimous Support at Candidates Accountability Session, OTOC

After Texas legislators passed the anti-immigrant Senate Bill 4, Dallas Area Interfaith (DAI) leaders didn’t lose hope. Instead, they reached out directly to the Dallas Police Department, engaging them in outreach to parishes and neighborhoods. Police Chief Eddie García responded by joining 50+ DAI leaders for two neighborhood walks, knocking on doors in immigrant communities to listen to residents' stories and reassure them of their ability to trust local law enforcement.

At St. Pius X Catholic Church, Chief García joined Bishop Greg Kelly, Gloria Lam, and Fr. Salvador Guzman, who organized the walk. A second walk, hosted by Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, was led by Frays Angel Rios and Pedro Romero.

As Chief García transitions out of law enforcement, the Dallas Morning News highlighted his involvement in efforts like these as "interactions [that] created momentum" in building trust between the police and immigrants.

On Saturday, October 5th, 35 Catholic clergy and lay leaders from 14 Tucson parishes gathered at St. Cyril’s of Alexandria Catholic Church for a Parish Leadership Training on immigration, organized by Pima County Interfaith. This was more than just a meeting—it was a strategic organizing session aimed at confronting one of the most urgent challenges facing their communities: the protection of immigrant families.

Tucson Bishop Edward Weisenburger and Joanna Williams, Executive Director of Kino Border Initiative, anchored the day in Catholic Social Teaching, emphasizing the defense of immigrant rights and human dignity. Their message was unambiguous: protecting immigrant families is both a moral duty and an organizing challenge for parish leaders.  The day also included a critical analysis of Arizona’s Proposition 314, a ballot measure that would give federal immigration enforcement powers to local law enforcement, threatening civil liberties. Arizona Catholic Bishops have strongly opposed the proposition. 

Organizers led hands-on trainings, equipping leaders with practical strategies to build power within parishes and strengthen their organizing capacity.  This effort was part of the West/Southwest IAF’s Recognizing the Stranger initiative, launched in 2017 with support from the Catholic Campaign for Human Development and the Diocese of Tucson.