- February 8, 2022 Social Justice
By Jenny Beatrice
Nearly 30 Sisters of St. Joseph, associates and partners in mission from around the country attended a public witness at the White House on December 3 to prayerfully call on the Biden administration to end the misuse of Title 42, a public health policy that is being used to deter immigration into the United States.
This event was organized by NETWORK, the national Catholic social justice lobby. Many women religious participated, along with other faith-based and secular organizations. Five sisters from the St. Louis province joined the effort: Sisters Mary Louise Basler, Rosario Bobadilla, Kristina DeNeve, Maureen Freeman and Jo Ann Geary.
Title 42 was imposed by the Trump administration at the start of the pandemic, citing immigrants at the southern border as a public health threat. The result is that migrants are being expelled at the border without due process and in violation of their legal right to claim asylum. Despite statements by public health experts that immigration can be done safely during COVID, the policy continues to be enforced. Many expected that Biden would revoke this executive order, but he has kept Title 42 in place.
“Biden is a Catholic, so I wanted to do this as one Catholic to another,” says Sister Kristina. “I hoped to be able to communicate with him as a fellow member of the universal church about what our faith shares with us about those who are forced to flee their homes.”
For the Sisters of St. Joseph who have seen first-hand the plight of those crossing the southern border, policy advocacy is more than just politics—it’s personal.
S. Kristina, who served at the border in 2019, says she participated with the migrants she encountered in mind, like the young man with his baby whom she brought to the airport. Despite the language barrier, they communicated. “In his face was complete trust. I’ll never forget his gratitude,” she says. “I have been a witness … Those people were with me while I was there in Washington.”
After a march in front of the White House, sisters and migrants shared their personal testimonies, a hallmark of NETWORK’s approach. People like Santiago, a Honduran migrant living in Mexico for the past 11 years, spoke on how Title 42 affects his family. Earlier this year, the violence increased near his home, so his family “had to make the very difficult decision to migrate.” When he and his younger son made it to the U.S. border to request asylum, the immigration agents told him, “The border is closed.”
S. Mary Louise says, “Praying and marching with sisters and young people and others from all over the United States who are very concerned about the treatment of our brothers and sisters coming to our borders was very inspirational.”
Following the event, the St. Louis sisters took the opportunity to build a relationship with Congresswoman Cori Bush’s team. Bush is serving her first term as the representative of Missouri’s 1st Congressional District. Sisters Mary Louise, Rosario and Kristina met with Bush’s legislative aide, Aya Sayed. Aya works directly on immigration policy and Bush’s office is working hard to dismantle Title 42.
Aya not only listened to the sisters, but she also educated them on the system and what political factors are in play that deter change in immigration policy.
S. Rosario, who serves the immigrant population in St. Louis, offered Aya her perspective. “This kind of immigration policy we have now is not working at all,” says S. Rosario. “It is not human. It’s not Christian. It is immoral.”
One of S. Rosario’s recommendations is that Bush petition the legislature so that all immigrants who came before 2010 be granted a green card. “I cannot believe that people who are working so hard for this country try to be invisible … They are hard workers. They are good people.”
At the close of their meeting, Aya asked the sisters to reach out to her in the future as women religious and as constituents on the issue. “I actually feel like there is a person in D.C. who knows me,” S. Kristina says.
After meeting with Aya, the sisters walked near the front of the Capitol building. It was dusk, and the sun was setting in a most amazing way. “The sun was brightly shining on this magnificent building,” S. Mary Louise says. “This is the image I now have in my mind, instead of the image of insurgents we so often see on TV.” The sisters left Washington with this image—an image of hope.