V Encuentro Proceedings and Conclusions

Proceedings and Conclusions of the V National Encuentro of Hispanic/Latino Ministry | 111 • USCCB, Catholic Campaign for Human Development ( http://www.usccb.org/cchd and http://povertyusa.org/ ). • U.S. Census Bureau, “Educational Attainment in the United States: 2017” ( https://www.census.gov/data/ tables/2017/demo/education-attainment/cps-detailed-tables.html ). • U.S. Census Bureau, “Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2017” ( https://www.census.gov/ content/dam/Census/library/publications/2018/demo/p60-264.pdf ). VI. Ministerial Area Team • Episcopal Moderators: Most Rev. Thomas Wenski, Archbishop of Miami; and Most Rev. James Tamayo, Bishop of Laredo. • Co-Leaders: Ralph McCloud and Digna Ramírez-López. • Panelists: Edith Ávila and Juan Aranda. 14. IMMIGRATION I. Vision Establish a national platform directed and organized by trained lay Hispanic immigrant leaders, supported and accompanied by the USCCB to accompany, educate, and defend the social, civic, and spiritual needs of the documented and undocumented immigrant community by creating bonds of solidarity among all the members of the body Christ—immigrants and U.S.-born alike. Such coordinated action at the local level within dioceses is the work of missionary disciples, and it is urgently needed amid the current crisis of inhumane and immoral treatment of asylum seekers, families, and unaccompanied minors at the southern border. II. Social and Religious Context in Hispanic Ministry • Undocumented immigrants are living in a constant state of fear—of deportation, of family separation, of the political environment—and this prevents access to basic services and participation in the Church. • Professional assistance from lawyers is needed to educate the community and defend the rights of immigrants, and from mental health professionals to support families when there is deportation. • The parish can provide information on these issues and raise awareness inside and outside the church, especially when facing the current political and social environment where racism and xenophobia are increasingly accepted. • The USCCB’s Justice For Immigrants resource is good for advocacy, but incomplete. Holistic resources for formation and spiritual needs are also required. • Although the precarious situation of millions of undocumented individuals could change at any moment with a permanent fix to the immigration system, as of 2019 the will to do so in the polarized political environment of the federal government seems elusive. In that light, some key statistics are enlightening: » » Undocumented: There are about 11,000,000 undocumented persons in the country, with 66% coming from Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala or Honduras. About 38% have been in the country for more than 15 years and 18% for 5 years or less. Currently, 44% do not have a high school diploma, 26% have completed high school, 14% some years of university, and 15% higher education. Roughly 71% are employed, 4% are unemployed looking for work, and 54% lack health insurance. 11 11 Center for Migration Studies (CMS), “State-Level Unauthorized Population and Eligible-to-Naturalize Estimates,” accessed August 16, 2018, ( http://data.cmsny.org/?_sm_au_=iVVfvJRTZ2PNQnkQ ). Ministerial Area Sessions