Immigration Justice

Mission priority

Immigration justice is and long has been one of the Loretto Community’s top mission priorities. Whether it’s through the work of individual members, Loretto’s Latin America/Caribbean Committee (LACC), or partner organizations (such as Annunciation House, Casa de Arcoiris, Espacio Migrante, Kino Border Initiative, Southside Presbyterian, Salvavision and Tucson Samaritans), Loretto consistently offers advocacy and hands-on support for immigrants, refugees and asylum-seekers.

Immigration justice goes hand-in-hand with Earth justice, another of Loretto’s main mission focuses. Climate change has forced many immigrants to leave their countries due to lack of food and safe living environments, as well as a resulting increase of violence.

Loretto members live, work and serve in locations that are on the front lines of the U.S. immigration humanitarian crisis, including El Paso, Texas, and Denver. Loretto also partners with organizations in Mexico and along the U.S.-Mexican border.

Join our work

Looking for ways to get involved? Watch or take part in our Immigration Spotlights to learn more or contact us directly.

Loretto Co-member Mary Jean Friel, at back, enjoys a lighter moment with refugees seeking assistance at a shelter in Arizona.
File photo

Loretto’s stance on immigration justice

Loretto’s position on immigration justice, adopted by the Loretto Community at its 2017 Community Assembly, is as follows:

The Loretto Community affirms that all individuals are endowed with fundamental human rights and are worthy of dignity and respect. We firmly believe in the freedom of movement, family unification, worker justice, and state protection of immigrants, refugees and asylum-seekers. Therefore, we denounce current United States (U.S.) immigration laws and policies that are unjust and inhumane. In particular, we are alarmed by the increased militarization of our border and our new government’s anti-immigrant rhetoric.

Because the work is vast, we commit ourselves to the following goals.

We resolve, as the Loretto Community, gathered in Assembly in 2017, to do the following:

  • Educate ourselves on the changing situation of migrants, and advocate at the local, state, national and global level on policies that affect immigrants and refugees, especially urging our legislators to:
    • Ensure medical attention is present and provided to all migrants held in U.S. custody;
    • Require all migrants who leave U.S. custody, whether that be U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) or Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to leave with all their belongings;
    • Ensure all migrants deported from the U.S. receive money which can be available to them in their country of origin;
    • Ban the stopping of ambulances and other medical vehicles at border patrol checkpoints;
    • Advocate against the collaboration of CBP and ICE with local law enforcement.
  • Financially support groups that aid and recognize the dignity of migrants in detention centers;
  • Participate in, finance and share the border trip experience to encourage others to become new advocates on immigration justice;
  • Accompany those migrants and immigrants who live in fear and help them regain hope.

We who believe in justice shall not rest until it comes.

Loretto Co-member Carolyn Jaramillo was among those who urged congressional passage of the bi-partisan DREAM Act, which would convert the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Executive Order (DACA) into federal law.
Loretto Sisters Alicia Ramirez and Barbara Schulte pack care items for those seeking asylum in the United States.

For questions or more information regarding Loretto’s involvement with immigration justice, please contact us using the form below.

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