by Vincent Ojwang | Jun 25, 2025 | America, JPIC Grassroots News
The United States of America is a country of immigrants. Except for the Native-Americans, everyone else can trace their roots from outside the country. The diversity of cultures and languages is one thing that makes the USA a unique place in the world. Currently, “most (immigrants), of course, are lawfully present, whether as naturalized citizens, Lawful Permanent Residents, resettled refugees or others with permanent legal status. But a significant share of the immigrants… are vulnerable to deportation, whether because they have no legal status or their legal protections could be withdrawn.”
With the prospect of deportations on any significant level, the whole country would be negatively affected. There have been various efforts to form coalitions of Christian denominations to respond collectively to the governmental actions to remove immigrants who are not a threat to the safety of the country. The commonality for those of us who follow Christ is that “when one part of the body suffers, every part suffers with it, for all Christians. We should also be clear that, as Christians, our concern is not exclusively for fellow Christians. We believe that all people, regardless of their religious beliefs, are made in the image of God with inherent dignity (Genesis 1:27, Genesis 9:6, James 3:9).
The current president stated the goal to have “the largest deportation in U.S. history.” He intends to not only deport criminals but others as well. This includes separating mothers from children which he deems necessary. The president signed an executive order signed on his first day after returning to the White House which states, “It is the policy of the United States to take all appropriate action to secure the borders of our Nation through … Removing promptly all aliens who enter or remain in violation of Federal law.”
According to the “best data available to make reasonable estimates of how deportations could impact Christian families in the United States, and then highlighted those statistical estimates with profiles of individuals within Catholic and Protestant congregations throughout the country, the findings are stark: Roughly one in 12 Christians in the United States are vulnerable to deportation or live with a family member who could be deported.” There are an estimated 11 million (and perhaps as high as 20 million) immigrants in the USA without proper documentation.
“(The) U.S. Department of Homeland Security is responsible for carrying out removals, often in coordination with the U.S. Department of Justice, whose Immigration Judges must determine that an individual is indeed removable under the law. In certain cases, the law allows for officials other than an Immigration Judge to make the determination that an individual should be removed and then to carry out an ‘expedited removal.’” There have been reports of officials ignoring due process altogether. (https://www.ncronline.org/opinion/guest-voices/disappearing-people-without-warning-or-trial-ice-does-work-empire )
Because of the illegal raids, public protests this past week in Los Angeles, CA. have spurred illegal responses from the president to deploy the National Guard and Marines to quell the protestors. Now over 40 cities across the country have mobilized their own protests in solidarity with the protesters in Los Angeles. As of this writing, a federal judge has ruled that the president did not have authority to send the national guard and marines into Los Angeles but an appeals court has blocked the federal court’s ruling.(https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/la-protests-map-ice-trump-cities-los-angeles-b2769508.html and https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cd62d8jp046o )
“In other circumstances, an individual facing the likelihood of formal removal may be given the option to repatriate ‘voluntarily’ at their own expense. And in other cases, individuals who fear deportation or for whom life has become increasingly difficult may choose to repatriate themselves, which is sometimes referred to as ‘self-deportation.’”
“Lawful Permanent Residents — immigrants sometimes described as having their ‘green cards’ — cannot be deported unless they violate the terms of their residence, such as by being convicted of particular criminal offenses. Similarly, individuals present on a non-immigrant visa could only face the risk of deportation after their authorized stay expires or if they violate the terms of their visa, such as by accepting employment on a visa that does not include employment authorization or by not being enrolled in school while on a student visa.”
“Temporary Protected Status Under the authority of a law passed by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President George H.W. Bush in 1990, the Secretary of Homeland Security has the authority to grant Temporary Protected Status to individuals who are physically present in the U.S. as of a particular date when the conditions in their country of origin make it unsafe for them to return for reasons such as war, conflict, a natural disaster or a public health epidemic. As of September 2024, roughly 1.1 million individuals were lawfully present in the United States under Temporary Protected Status. More than 95 percent of these individuals come from five countries: Venezuela, Haiti, El Salvador, Honduras and Ukraine, though there are also individuals with TPS from South Sudan, Ethiopia, Nepal and several other countries.
“Early in the new administration, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem reversed extensions of TPS for Venezuelans and Haitians made in the final days of the Biden administration and terminated the 2023 designation of TPS for Venezuelans. Hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans and Haitians are now poised to become vulnerable to deportation in the coming months, though these actions could face legal challenges.”
There are many Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) in the USA too. In 2012, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security under the Obama administration announced a new policy inviting particular individuals — who had arrived as children (before their 16th birthday) on or before June 15, 2007, who did not have serious criminal convictions and who were either currently enrolled in school or had graduated from school, among other requirements — to request ‘Deferred Action.’”
“The DACA policy has been notable because of the significant number of individuals who have benefited from it — more than 800,000 at one time or another. Because DACA was created by administrative action, not as a result of a change of law, it could presumably also be cancelled by the executive branch. Indeed, the Trump administration sought to do so in September 2017.
“Notably, though these hundreds of thousands of young people entered the United States as children, to be eligible for DACA they would have to have resided here continuously since June 15, 2007, at this point they are almost all adults, largely in their 20s, 30s or even 40s. Many have had children of their own: An estimated 300,000 U.S.-citizen children live with at least one parent who is a DACA recipient. Individuals with DACA could be at risk of deportation either if the (current) administration (or any subsequent presidential administration) would follow the appropriate processes to terminate DACA or if the U.S. Supreme Court would agree with the lower courts that the program was created illegally and, as a result, invalidate the policy. That would not mean that individuals would immediately face deportation, but they would be vulnerable to deportation under the law — and they presumably would lose the legal authority to accept employment and thus to provide for themselves and their families.”
The Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation dimension of our Claretian call impels us to act in urgent, timely and effective ways for our brothers and sisters who are living in fear of deportation. The Good News of Jesus Christ is needed at many different levels. We cannot act alone and must join other like minded coalitions, movements and organizations to accompany and advocate for the good of our immigrant neighbors. We pray that the Holy Spirit lead and guide us to God’s will in our service to our brothers and sisters. St. Anthony and Claretian Martyrs, pray for us; Immaculate Heart of Mary, be our salvation.
The various quotes from this article come from “One part of the Body: The Potential Impact of Deportations on American Christian Families” https://justiceforimmigrants.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/one-part-of-the-body.pdf
Fr. Art Gramaje CMF
by Vincent Ojwang | May 22, 2025 | International Days
In celebration of the tenth anniversary of the encyclical Laudato Si’ and during Laudato Si’ Week (May 24–31), the JPIC General Secretariat invites each organism and its communities to organize a special Creation-focused Mass. We offer liturgical materials adapted by Fr. Efraín Mamani CMF and available in this site. The event can be organized at whatever time is most convenient during Laudato Si’ Week.
We thank you in advance for your commitment and collaboration so that, united as a congregation, we can actively participate in these celebrations and in the mission of caring for our Common Home according to the principles of Laudato Si’.
download document here https://www.somicmf.org/download/206/laudato-si/4842/laudato-si-eg.pdf?lang=en
by Vincent Ojwang | May 12, 2025 | Africa, JPIC Grassroots News
The truth about the cause of the incessant killings in most parts of Nigeria remains totally unknown. After the civil war of 1967 which led to the demise of more than three (3) million lives and the displacement of many, Nigeria as a country continued to suffer pockets of unrest in parts of her territory but not in the frequency and organized nature as we have it today. It is so bad that even the local media outlets are compelled to report inaccurate news so as not to raise the tension in the country. Journalists who dig and report beyond the area of their permitted coverage either disappear after some time or remain in perpetual hiding for the rest of their lives. Also, as critical as the issue is, you hardly find it on the Western Media despite the heavy presence of BBC, Aljazeera and CNN in Nigeria. This simply suggests either a conspiracy with the local and international perpetrators or that there are unknown sponsors behind these killings whose faces must remain masked.
As a country, Nigeria is extravagantly blessed with abundance in diverse minerals discovered and undiscovered and also human resources. Her lack of technological advancement has made her a scavenged theatre for the technologically advanced power players scouting for resources and dominance. Since the last twenty years, we have seen a steady growth of violence against innocent citizens across boards. It is untrue to assume that the victims of these attacks are merely Christians although the Christians remain the major targets of these attacks perpetuated by terrorist groups under different guises. Basically every part of Nigeria has a proscribed group operating there.
In most of the Northern states of Nigeria, Boko Haram, the Islamic State of West Africa and her subsidiaries collude with the local and state governments to carry out organized attacks against unsuspecting citizens in the name of expanding Islamic agenda in the country. In the South-South region we find the Niger Delta Militant, a group fighting the government and international criminals stealing the oil and destroying the land making survival difficult for the locals. IPOB is the name of the proscribed group operating in the South Eastern part of the country. Their mantra is the complete emancipation and secession of the Ibo race from Nigeria. Under this guise, they carry out terrible attacks on peace loving and innocent citizens. There are other dangerous miniature autochthonous groups scattered across the nation. The presence of these groups and their activities has overwhelmed the security architecture of Nigeria. Hence, the government’s use of the security machineries and agencies has failed. Although our security agencies are highly trained, yet in the face of this ignominious destruction of the lives of Nigerians, they appear incompetent.
Kidnapping is not a new concept. It is defined as the abduction of a person by illegal force, being carried off through deception and holding them against their will, with a demand for ransom, (Uzorma & Nwanegbo-Ben 2014). The reason behind kidnapping has been attributed to political, economic, religious and sometimes the desire to showcase superiority or supremacy. Regardless of the motive, it exposes the families of the victims to absurd sufferings and psychological devastation. Currently, there is also kidnapping for human organ harvesting and this is rapidly spreading fast. It has become a multi-billion dollars industry waiting to explode. In most cases, ransoms are paid yet the victims never return to their families. Many a time, the activities of these kidnappers occur in rural and remote places where there is little or no military presence. They target even children and pregnant women. No one is exempt.
The Claretians working in different parts of Nigeria have had a fair share of the experience. No fewer than five (5) of our brothers have fallen victim to this menace in the past however, we have been fortunate not to have lost any. Many a Priests, Sisters and Seminarians have lost their lives in recent past. Owing to the fact that we work in the peripheries, our brothers are the most vulnerable. Fr. Jude Igba CMF and Fr. Louis Ajinge CMF., for instance, work at Uzea in Uromi Diocese of Edo State. The place is known for kidnapping activities yet the brothers must stay to look after the flocks entrusted to their care as pastors of that very mission. In recent times, Kabba in Lokoja diocese where Claret Secondary School is located is also susceptible to Fulani attacks and bandit invasion. The brothers living and working there are always on high alert.
Recently, Bishop Wilfred Anegbe CMF., the Bishop of Markurdi diocese appeared before the US House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa to expose an agenda aimed at wiping out the Christian majority in his diocese. This agenda has been in motion for over 10 years now and the government at the Federal level has done little to address this humanitarian crisis that also impacts on the economic life of the nation at large. La vida del obispo Wilfred ha sido amenazada en múltiples ocasiones porque se atrevió a alzar la voz ante una agenda expansionista islámica muy intensa y sofisticada que incluye secuestros y destrucción gratuita de vidas y propiedades de nigerianos inocentes y pacíficos. After the kidnapping of the Chibok girls which the United States’ Obama’s administration and the British Prime Minister, David Cameron orchestrated, little is heard about kidnapping activities in Nigeria on the internationally recognized media stations such as the BBC, CNN and Al Jazeera. Obviously, the rejection of the abortion and gay rights by President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan provoked an international conspiracy against our nascent democracy and till date, innocent lives are paying for what they know nothing about.
Kidnapping in Nigeria is now a weapon of modern enslavement. The bandits who carry out these activities are heavily paid and they use latest modern and sophisticated weapons which are beyond what the Nigerian military can afford to use. Obviously, there is an international conspiracy to keep Nigeria abysmally grounded while greedy actors reap the nation of her natural endowments. To effectively succeed in this plot, they collude with local corrupt and selfish top politicians and government officials. The life of anyone who questions their activities is in danger. Their families are targeted and when possible, they are killed. We gathered from reliable sources that these bandits are heavily paid in dollars not naira which is the local currency of Nigeria. They are paid to kidnap, maim and cause instability while enjoying immunity from the corrupt government and security agencies. Helicopters are deployed to convey food, weapon and provisions to cushion the effects of hardship on these miscreants in the forests where they hide while law abiding citizens die of starvation and economic strangulation.
No one understands the state of the nation more than the common man whose next meal is not guaranteed. These are the people we work with in the peripheries of our missions. Kidnapping activities have upturned a country that was well known for hard work, greatness and unparalled growth in every sector of her national and economic life. A source who pleaded anonymity revealed that bandit and criminal groups now merge and collaborate to carry out massive kidnapping attacks and bring their victims to hidden places where ransoms are demanded from the relatives of these victims using their own cell phones. When the relatives fail to make payment within specific time frames, the victims are killed and their organs harvested. This commercialization is a new cancer with no remedy at the moment. In the heat of all these tensions, a former Chief of Army Staff of Nigeria, T.Y Danjuma, called on Nigerians to rise and defend themselves from aggressors as the government has failed in providing security for her citizens. This is the state of things at the moment.
It is nice to know that people are doing everything possible to stay alive. The continuous failure of the government to secure the lives and properties of her citizens is no longer alien to Nigerians. Small vigilanty groups keep emerging but how sustainable is this courage they exhibit. They lack the sophistication, training and weapons to defend themselves but they have courage and hope. They are the real heroes in the war against kidnapping and banditry.
Reference:
Uzorma, P.N., & Nwanegbo-Ben, J. (2014). Challenges of hostage-taking and kidnapping in the south eastern Nigeria.
Written by Kenneth Ugochukwu, CMF.
by Vincent Ojwang | Apr 21, 2025 | International Days, Mother Earth Day
Dear sisters and brothers, April 22 we commemorate the INTERNATIONAL MOTHER EARTH DAY, and as the JPIC Team of the Claretian Family, we share this material for awareness and reflection on a reality that necessarily involves us—as part of humanity and as a believing community, as recipients and protectors of the generous gift the Creator has given us in nature.
We are living in a truly complex and critical moment, as a consequence of how we, as a species, have related to our planet—with attitudes and actions that bring us dangerously close to the irreversible degradation of our “Common Home.”
As the Claretian Family, it is our responsibility to take a stand and act in the face of what lies ahead, inspired by the Christian message and grounded in solidarity—knowing that the most vulnerable are the ones who face the greatest challenges in responding to the environmental crisis.
May the Lord of Life enlighten and encourage us in this mission, in defense of life.
download document here https://www.somicmf.org/download/253/mother-earth-day/4606/eg-international-mother-earth-day-2025.pdf?lang=en
