Immigration
Oppose HB 4, uphold the rights and dignity of every person, foster the common good
The following testimony was delivered on Nov. 9 before the House State Affairs Committee by Justin Estep, senior director of Immigration and Refugee Services, Catholic Charities of Central Texas. As a church of immigrants, the Catholic Church has a long history of involvement in the immigration issue. Our experience in working with immigrants throughout the…
Read MoreHB 4 not solution for immigration reform
The following testimony was delivered on Oct. 19 before the House State Affairs Committee by Justin Estep, senior director of Immigration and Refugee Services, Catholic Charities of Central Texas. The Catholic Church has a long history of involvement in the immigration issue. Our experience in working with immigrants throughout the years compels us to speak…
Read More88th Legislature Immigration Bills
88th Legislature Immigration Bills For years, burdens of an unworkable system of immigration have fallen heavily on states and communities along the US-Mexico border. The human and moral cost of ongoing federal inaction to create an effective set of policies to ensure safe and orderly migration is tragically reflected both in an unprecedented number of persons…
Read MoreHow you can help: Immigrants & Refugees
Upon request from Catholics across the state, the TCCB created a new resource page where you can find links to helpful ministry resources in Texas. The first item that we have created a page for is “Immigrants and Refugees.” You can find that link here or under “Pastoral Resources” –> “How You Can Help” in…
Read MoreSine Die Report for the 86th Legislature
Sine Die Report on Priority Bills in the 86th Legislative Session Educate: Throughout the 2019 session, we educated and mobilized the laity to take an active role in supporting the bishops’ agenda. Specifically, we have published online briefs—available here—of the topics on our legislative agenda to explain Church teaching and how to improve state law.…
Read MoreHB 2266: Repeal “anti-sanctuary cities” legislation
Testimony by Rachana Chhin The Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops support HB 2266, which would repeal SB 4, passed in 2017, which was an “anti-sanctuary cities” law that required compliance with ICE detainers, preempted local law enforcement policies, and seeks to remove police chiefs who do not cooperate. We support HB 2266 to end the…
Read MoreCardinal DiNardo leads delegation to border, holds press conference
WASHINGTON—On Monday, July 2, a delegation of bishops led by Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo, President of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, plan to meet with U.S. government officials and members of the Catholic community as part of a full day of visits with a focus on family unity. Immediately following the engagements, the bishops…
Read MoreLos obispos cuestionan la detención de una niña con parálisis cerebral
La aplicación de las leyes de inmigración debe ser compasiva, enfocarse en los delincuentes, no en pacientes que esperan cirugía AUSTIN – El caso de una niña de 10 años, indocumentada, que fue detenida por agentes federales en su camino a una cirugía de emergencia, resalta la necesidad de aclarar las responsabilidades respecto de la…
Read MoreHB 2858: addresses horrors of human trafficking
Jennifer Carr Allmon As executive director of the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops, I’m testifying in support of HB 2858. Many of our Catholic Charities agencies provide assistance to victims of human trafficking. While I worked at Catholic Charities in Houston, I served on the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Anti-Trafficking Task Force. In that…
Read MoreHB 2225: oppose removal of state standards for child migrants
Michael Barba The Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops is against HB 2225. We oppose this bill because it effectively removes the state’s standards for childcare if the children are migrants. Background. The licensing requirements maintained by DFPS were established in order to ensure the quality of care for children housed in family residential centers (FRCs).[1]…
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