V Encuentro Proceedings and Conclusions

38 | Proceedings and Conclusions of the V National Encuentro of Hispanic/Latino Ministry at the forefront of the V Encuentro missionary action. Some detail may be lost, but great effort has been made to remain faithful to the key concepts and concerns expressed in the earlier documents. Greater detail may be found in the Regional and Diocesan Working Documents. With that caveat, here follow the echoes of the missionary encounters in the peripheries with Hispanics/Latinos through- out the United States. Pastoral Needs and Situations Immigrants living in the U.S. without legal documents. At the risk of starting this sec- tion on a negative note, we begin with a look at the most common pastoral needs and sit- uations identified in the missionary consul- tations. It is estimated that about 14.5% of Hispanics/Latinos living in the United States today are undocumented—about one of every seven—with more than half of those being between the ages of 25 and 44. Over 60% of them have also lived in the United States for more than ten years. Although this situation directly affects only a small minority of Latinos, it was certainly the greatest single concern expressed in the missionary visits. Most Latinos know someone whose direc- tion and potential in life have been deeply affected by their lack of immigration papers, and for many it is someone in their own fam- ily—a parent, an aunt or uncle, a sibling, or a family member by marriage. The consequences identified for being here without authorization are many: constant fear of deportation or of separation from a loved one; inability to legally marry, to visit family members in prison, to qualify for subsidized health insurance or Medicaid, or many other government benefits for low-income individ- uals; inability to obtain financial aid for higher education; loss of protections in the work- place, where unscrupulous employers often take advantage of them; fear of going to the police when victimized by crime; and general concerns about how society regards them in the current political climate—even within the Church. All of these realities have led many to become isolated—too fearful to even leave their place of residence for any reason other than what is required for survival. The pathways to per- manent residence are narrow, complicated, and constantly shifting, which creates a need for affordable legal assistance. The promise of legalization for DREAMers (young child- hood arrivals) and refugees with Temporary Protected Status (TPS) has become a polit- ical football with competing interests vying to score points, while their lives, hopes, and dreams remain on the line. Many seek pas- toral sensitivity and accompaniment from the Church, as well as advocacy for a com- prehensive and just reform of the immi- gration system. Involvement in the Church. A variety of com- ments and concerns were expressed about the Church and the place of Hispanics/Latinos within it, which taken together formed the greatest center of focus in the conversations about needs and situations. A large number of comments in this regard had to do with the V Encuentro itself. People were generally enthu- siastic about the visits to the peripheries. In fact, many called for making it a permanent ministry within the parish community and find- ing ways to train and commission people to visit the sick and homebound regularly. Echoes of the Encounters in the Peripheries