Conference: “Crisis at our Borders: The Human Reality Behind the Immigration Debate”

Jesuit Refugee Service has announced a conference “Crisis at our Borders: The Human Reality Behind the Immigration Debate.”   This one-day conference seeks to educate and inspire students and others to greater knowledge, commitment, and action for immigration reform. A series of panel discussions will put a human face on the migrant experience by: sharing personal narratives of individuals crossing the border; exploring political/legal, economic, ethical and law enforcement perspectives on the current immigration system; making the case for policy changes, discussing ways in which the current system is failing immigrants and our communities. It also will explore the prospects for immigration reform, discuss the key players in the process and talk about what such reform may look like.

Scheduled speakers include: Bishop Gerald Kicanas of the Diocese of Tucson, Vice President of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops; Fr. Sean Carroll, S.J., Executive Director of the Kino Border Initiative; Chris West, CRS organizer with the Justice for Immigrants campaign; Don Kerwin, Vice President for Programs at the Migration Policy Institute; Jessica Owens, Counsel to Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D.–N.Y.); Prof. Alexander Aleinikoff, Dean, Georgetown University Law Center; Rev. Delle McCormick, Executive Director of BorderLinks; and Adrian Gonzalez of Frontera de Cristo; Frank Sharry, Executive Director of America’s Voice; and Chief Tom Manger of the Montgomery County, Md., Police Department. Jesuit Refugee Service/USA, the Jesuit Conference of the United States, Georgetown University’s Center for Social Justice Research, Teaching and Service, the Institute for the Study of International Migration, and the Woodstock Theological Center will host the conference in the Intercultural Center Auditorium on the campus of Georgetown University Thursday, Oct. 29, 2009, beginning at 9:00 a.m.

This event is free and open to the public.

KJ