News-Immigrants and Refugees

Sandra Dieudonne, an immigration attorney for the Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York-Haitian Response Initiative, has been named among the 50 most influential and thought-provoking women in New York who have demonstrated exemplary leadership in their field. The award was presented by City and State, a publication devoted to...

Starting in July, I began meeting with the asylum-seekers coming to New York from the southern border. Since that time, I met hundreds of people; I believe the best way to share my perspective as a Case Manager, and as a Venezuelan, is by sharing one family’s story. Ana is...

Like many New Yorkers in the pandemic, Cordelia Francis was unemployed and took advantage of the time to for some job training on Zoom. Every day, the Brooklyn resident, in her fifties, would put on her best office clothes as she learned resume creation, office skills and job networking from...

Workers at Catholic Charities Immigrant & Refugee Services hosted a party for migrants at their downtown 80 Maiden Lane offices Feb. 12. Staffers had noted an increase in walk-ins from a local hotel/shelter, so they decided to offer a lunch. The lunch included Venezuelan food such as arepas, rice, beans, salad and empanadas. Donor...

Mercy Sister Christine Hennessy has two families: first, the one begun by her Irish immigrant parents; the other, the religious congregation began by Mother Catherine McAuley in Dublin in 1831. It’s no surprise then that those influences helped forge her ministry as a Catholic Charities social...

The migrants came, some as early as 4 a.m. the Saturday morning of Nov. 19, five hours before the doors opened to the basement of historic St. Teresa’s Church on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. Most had arrived from Venezuela, some in the summer via buses launched...

She didn’t say a word because she can’t. But being 12-foot-tall, Little Amal didn’t have to make noise to attract attention on the sidewalks of midtown and inside St. Patrick’s Cathedral Sept. 18. Thousands of worshipers leaving Mass and tourists swarmed all over her. Her massive hands reached out...

Catholic Charities is seeking help from parishioners in the archdiocese to assist more than 1,000 asylum seekers with food, clothing, shelter, legal assistance and other needs. Parishioners have been asked to contribute essential items for the migrants such as shoes, socks, underwear, baby items and clothing for children. Church bulletin...

Most of his fellow Venezuelan migrants to New York City over the past month are tight-lipped, holding stories of hardship both from home and on their perilous journey. Fernando, 40, is an exception. He won’t give his last name, for fear of persecution from the government back in his home country, but he’s quite willing to...

Timothy Cardinal Dolan, Msgr. Kevin Sullivan, members of Catholic Charities’ case management and immigration divisions, and some recently arrived migrants greeted members of the local and national media on Aug. 16 to discuss the surge of asylum seekers arriving in New York City by the busload from Texas and Arizona—most...