December 2025 Newsletter

Issue #106

As of late October 2025, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that a total of more than 527,000 deportations have been conducted by ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) since last January. The administration has stated it is on pace to deport nearly 600,000 "illegal aliens" by next month.

U.S. Department of Homeland Security

The administration claims over 2 million noncitizens have left the U.S. -- a figure that includes an estimated 1.6 million who "self-deported" in addition to formal deportations.

U.S. Department of Homeland Security

All migrants facing deportation are supposed to be protected by the United Nations Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. This policy states that a country cannot remove “a person to another State where there are substantial grounds for believing that he would be in danger of being subjected to torture.” 

International Refugee Assistance Project

The U.S. is increasingly using "third-country removals," sending some deported individuals to countries they have never been to before, as part of agreements with nations like El Salvador, Honduras, and Costa Rica.

International Refugee Assistance Project

The U.S. Department of State considers South Sudan too dangerous for almost all Americans – it warns travelers to plan for hostage situations and has evacuated all non-essential diplomats. Yet, the administration has waged a legal effort to treat South Sudan – and other conflict-ridden countries – as “safe third countries” to receive people deported from the United States. 

International Refugee Assistance Project

Criminal Records

Despite the rhetoric about the “worst of the worst" and "murderers, rapists, terrorists, and child pedophiles," as of May 2025, ICE had arrested 752 people convicted of murder and 1,693 convicted of sexual assault -- about .5% of all

those deported.

U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Since January, the number of immigration detainees without criminal records who are held in federal detention centers after being arrested by ICE has increased by over 2,000%.

TracImmigration

Rhetoric

Opponents of immigration, including politicians at the highest levels of government, use terms and metaphors to dehumanize immigrants and characterize them as a threat, using terms such as "animals," "vermin," "hordes," or "swarms" or criminalizing labels like “illegal aliens” or “illegals.” They also use disaster metaphors such "flood," "surge," or "invasion” and associate them with disease – such as “poisoning the blood of our country.” Others claim that we must “reclaim America’s sovereignty.” This kind of rhetoric scapegoats immigrants for broader social problems that leads to increased prejudice

and discrimination.

ICE

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was created in 2003 -- in response to the 9-11 terrorist attacks. It currently has a total of over

21,000 employees, which includes approximately 13,600 agents. As of late 2025, ICE is in the process of a large-scale hiring surge, aiming to hire an additional 10,000 employees.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement

The government attracts potential ICE agents through financial incentives like a $50,000 signing bonus and student loan repayment/

forgiveness options.

U.S. Department of Homeland Security

For its enforcement activities, ICE uses various data sources, including state and federal databases like Department of Motor Vehicle records.

U.S. Department of Homeland Security

ICE Arrests

ICE arrests people in private homes and residences, workplaces - including construction sites and factories, public areas such as streets, traffic stops, university campuses, airports, and hospitals. This includes courthouses as people arrive for legal proceedings, and at ICE offices where people are required to report periodically while their immigration cases are pending.

Texas Tribune

ICE detentions have reached record highs, with 65,135 individuals detained on November 16th. Over the fiscal year, the number of people booked into detention has significantly increased compared to previous periods, with figures reaching over 204,297 book-ins.

Vera 

The average person detained is moved over 300 miles from their home before deportation proceedings.

American Immigrant Council

The U.S. has seen an increase in the number of arrests of civilians impersonating ICE officers. Experts have warned that federal agents’ increased practice of masking while carrying out immigration raids and arrests makes it easier for imposters to pose as federal officers.

The Guardian

Solitary Confinement

Over a span of just 14 months, from April 2024 to May 2025, more than 10,500 people were placed in solitary confinement in immigration detention centers across the United States.

Physicians for Human Rights

In the first 4 months of this year, the monthly increase in the use of solitary confinement was 2 times the rate observed between 2018 and 2023, and more than 6 times higher than at the end of 2024.

Physicians for Human Rights

Deaths in ICE Custody

As of late 2025, there have been at least 25 deaths in ICE custody this year, making 2025 the deadliest year for ICE detainees since at least 2005. 

American Immigration Council

95% of the deaths between 2017 and 2021, were likely preventable with adequate medical care.

Physicians for Human Rights

Reports from human rights advocates and media have cited overcrowding, unsanitary conditions, medical neglect, and staffing shortages as contributing factors to the high death toll.

Children

There are roughly 170 federal shelters for “unaccompanied” immigrant children run by the Office of Refugee Resettlement, part of the Department of Health and Human Services.

ProPublica

Since the start of this year, some 600 immigrant children have been placed in government shelters by ICE. That figure is already higher than the tally for the previous 4 years combined. And it is the highest number since recordkeeping began a decade ago.

ProPublica

In around 150 cases, children were taken into federal custody after traffic stops. The trend is especially noticeable in states like Florida, where thousands of state and local police, including highway patrol, have been deputized to enforce immigration laws.

ProPublica

In California there has been a 22% increase in student absences since January. This increase is a result of parents having grown fearful of sending their children to school, worried about the risk of arrest or separation.

Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research

The 2025 surge in immigration enforcement in the United States has led to negative effects on the academic performance of Spanish-speaking students – both foreign-born and US-born.

National Bureau of Economic Research

Temporary Protection Status (TPS)

As of March 31, 2025, the U.S. provided TPS protections to 1,297,635 individuals from 17 countries. However the U.S. government has taken actions to terminate or reduce the duration of TPS designations for several countries, affecting hundreds of thousands of individuals. These countries include: Afghanistan, Cameroon, Haiti, Honduras, Myanmar (Burma), Nepal, Nicaragua, Syria and Venezuela.

Forum

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)

The government is no longer accepting new applications for initial grants of DACA --

an immigration policy that protects eligible young immigrants who came to the United States as children from deportation. 

Forum

Refugees

In addition to its treatment of immigrants, the U.S. has announced that the number of refugees to be admitted in 2026 is set at 7,500 -- the lowest in the history of the program. This is a 94% drop from the 125,000 limit that had been set annually for the preceding fiscal years

Wabe

Racist Overtones

The U.S. government has established a specific program to allow white South Africans (primarily Afrikaners) to enter the United States as refugees. Afrikaners were at the heart of the apartheid system of racial segregation in South Africa that lasted from 1948 until 1994.

Wabe

Advantages for the Wealthy

There is a proposed a “Gold Card Visa”, a fast-track program for wealthy foreign investors to obtain U.S. residency. It requires a $5 million “donation” or a $1 million “gift” in exchange for an expedited path to permanent residency or citizenship.

NPR

90% of people in ICE custody are held in detention centers operated for profit by private companies.

National Immigrant Justice Center

American Religious Attitudes

 46% of Christians say that a growing population of immigrants has been a change for the worse. 55% of evangelical Protestants agree.

Pew Research Center 

50% of Buddhists, 50% of Jews, 57% of Muslims and 73% of Hindus say that a growing population of immigrants is a change for the better. 

Pew Research Center

90% of atheists say openness to people from around the world is essential to U.S. identity.

Pew Research Center

To locate a friend or family member who might be detained by ICE, use the official ICE Detainee Locator search or call 1-866-347-2423. The person's full name, date of birth, country of birth, or Alien Number (A#) is needed. 

"When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt."

Leviticus 19:33-34

For more on Immigration, click here.

A “Special Message” on Immigration

A statement from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) addressing their concern for the evolving situation impacting immigrants in the United States. It marked the first time in twelve years the USCCB invoked this particularly urgent way of speaking as a body of bishops. Read more.

For more on Immigration, click here.

Don't Ask Where I'm From,

Ask Where I'm a Local

A TED Talk, that features writer Taiye Selasi who speaks on behalf of "multi-local" people, who feel at home in the town where they grew up, the city they live now and maybe another place or two. "How can I come from a country?" she asks. "How can a human being come from a concept?" Watch now.

For more on Immigration, click here.

Building Beloved Community: The Courage to Love in the Face of Tyranny

A resource from the United Methodist Church Council of Bishops, that equips readers with theological insight, practical strategies, and inspiring global stories to resist division and foster connection. Drawing on experiences from Ukraine, the Philippines, Guatemala, and beyond, it reveals common patterns of authoritarianism and offers faithful alternatives grounded in love over fear. Guides readers in navigating tough conversations, creating safe spaces, engaging in compassionate action, and building networks of solidarity. Reflection questions at the end of each chapter encourage deeper study and meaningful engagement. Addressing forces such as Christian nationalism, racism, and extremism, underscores the urgent need for social healing and the church's role in building just, grace-filled communities. Read more.

For more Public Witness resources, click here.

Economic Injustice: A Christian Response to Systems That Harm Our Neighbors

In this series from Christians for Social Action, Dr. Terence Lester — public scholar, storyteller, and longtime advocate for those pushed to the margins, invites readers to examine economic injustice through the lens of faith, history, and public theology. This series confronts the systemic forces that shape people’s futures long before they reach adulthood. Drawing on personal stories, policy insight, and biblical reflection, argues that economic injustice isn’t simply a political or social problem — it’s a moral and spiritual one. Each article calls Christians to resist performative compassion and embrace the deeper work of justice, repair, and proximity. Together, these pieces form a guide for Christians who want to move beyond charity toward lasting change, standing with communities harmed by disinvestment and imagining a future shaped by dignity, equity, and hope.

Learn more.

For more on Economic Justice, click here.

How We Got Hooked on Credit Cards

A TED Ed animated resource, narrated by Nidhi Upadhyaya, that looks at the history of the credit card industry in the United States. Shows how banks consider these lines of credit when deciding whether or not to approve loans, incentivizing customers to maintain multiple credit cards. Tells how this lending system originated and how did it got to be so popular. Watch now.

For more on Economic Justice, click here.

The Justice of Jesus: Reimagining Your Church’s Life Together to Pursue Liberation and Wholeness 

By Joash P. Thomas. Reveals how authentic biblical faith naturally leads to caring for the vulnerable and working for positive change in our neighborhoods. Drawing from a unique perspective serving in churches across different cultures and continents, the author shows how justice isn't just a "social issue"-- it's at the very heart of what it means to follow Christ. Offers:

● simple steps to help your church better serve struggling families in your neighborhood

● biblical foundations that show why caring for others isn't optional for Christians

● real success stories from churches that are making a tangible impact in their communities

● practical ideas for prayer, volunteering, and partnerships that don't require a huge budget

● fresh insights on following Jesus that will deepen your faith and expand your heart

Doesn't just point out problems; provides hope and concrete solutions. Drawing from Scripture and real-world examples, shows how ordinary believers can do extraordinary things when they embrace Jesus's vision for justice and healing. Read more.

For more Justice resources, click here.

Encounters with Dignity

A podcast series on restorative justice from the Catholic Mobilizing Network. Tells stories, learnings, and actionable wisdom from people putting restorative justice into practice. Topics

have included: 

• Building Alternatives to Incarceration
• Reimagining Policing and Public Safety
• Bringing Restorative Practices to Parish Life
• Carrying a Legacy of Nonviolence
• Humanizing Prosecution
• Welcoming Lazarus Home
• Surviving Violence, Rethinking Safety
• Facing the Harm I Committed
• Meeting the Man Who Killed Daddy
• Honoring Dignity Inside Prisons

Learn more.



 For more Justice resources, click here.

Right Livelihood

An organization that honors change-makers, offering concrete solutions to present-day challenges. Then, goes on to safeguard and support them throughout their lives. Connects courageous and innovative people, creating an ever-growing global community to advance their causes to contribute to urgent, long-lasting social change. Learn more.

 For more Justice resources, click here.

Tahirih Justice Center

A national, nonprofit organization that serves women, girls, and all immigrant survivors of gender-based violence. Our whole-person approach provides each survivor with free legal support and social services to secure their rights and build stable lives. By amplifying the experiences of immigrant survivors, works to create a world in which all people share equal rights and live in safety and with dignity. Combines free legal services and social services case management with bridge-building policy advocacy and research-based training and education. Advocates both for individual immigrant survivors and to change the systems that are complicit in the conditions of their oppression. Learn more.

For more on Domestic Abuse, click here.

Climate Justice, Climate Hope:

Building a Moral Economy

By Michael Malcom & Abby Mohaupt. Invites readers to face climate change in ways that build capacity, equity, and compassion with hope and in companionship with people worldwide. Equips readers for fruitful, intersectional action toward climate justice, calling for racial justice, equity, and democratic forms of economic life. With engaging stories of companions across the globe, the authors lead readers in a spiritually rooted and hope-filled journey, while also staring unblinkingly into the realities of extractive capitalism and white supremacy that have undergirded climate injustice. Readers meet faith-forebearers speaking in Scripture and unsung heroes spanning generations, creeds, and continents who are boldly and bravely organizing and acting for our shared planet and our human community. Read more.

For more on the Environment, click here.

How the Fridge Changed Food

A TED Talk, featuring Nicola Twilley, who asks what if our kitchen fridge is just the tip of an iceberg that's reshaping the world? She reveals how the massive “artificial Arctic” we built to keep our food fresh is simultaneously melting the real one. She shows why we're at a critical moment to rethink our relationship with the cold chain and refrigeration — and explores the emerging technologies that could keep food fresh without putting the planet on thin ice. Watch now.

For more on the Environment, click here.

 Why Are We Demolishing Homes During a Housing Crisis?

A TED Talk, featuring architect Olaf Grawert, who points out that every minute somewhere in Europe, a house is demolished — along with the memories and sense of community it holds. Exposing the human and environmental cost of demolition for profit, he highlights a bold alternative that could address the growing housing crisis. Suggests that rethinking the value of the buildings we already have could create sustainable, affordable homes for millions and reshape the future of cities. Watch now.

For more on Housing, click here.

Dilexi Te Reflection Guide

A resource from Network Advocates that offers a way to reflect on how Pope Leo's letter, Dilexi Te, guides and nourishes our work for An Economy for All and how we can live out this call in our homes, parishes and communities across the country. Includes 5 chapters: A Few Essential Words, God Chooses the Poor, A Church for the Poor, A History that Continues, and A Constant Challenge. Learn more.

For more Catholic Social Teaching resources,

click here.

Reconsidering Reparations: Why Climate Justice and Constructive Politics Are Needed in the Wake of Slavery and Colonialism

By Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò. Makes the case for reparations as a “constructive,” future-oriented project that responds to the weight of history’s injustices with the equitable distribution of benefits and burdens. Explains how European powers engineered the systems through which advantages and disadvantages still flow. Suggests policies, goals, organizing strategies and leaves readers with clear and powerful advice: act like an ancestor. Do what we can to shape the world we want our moral descendants to inherit, and have faith that they will continue the long struggle for justice. This understanding, the book shows, has deep roots in the thought of Black political thinkers such as James Baldwin, Martin Luther King, Jr., Cedric Robinson, and Nkechi Taifa. Read more.

For more on Racism, click here.

Liturgies for Resisting Empire: Seeking Community, Belonging, and Peace in a Dehumanizing World

By Kat Armas. Provides a roadmap for Christians seeking a countercultural way of living that prioritizes community and humanity over dominance and power. Answers the question: What does true belonging look like when the society you live in is not something you want to "belong" to? Combines spiritual practices and biblical theology to help readers create authentic belonging to God, ourselves, each other, and creation. Examines how empire affects us daily through its pervasive ideologies and systems of control. Drawing from decolonial and postcolonial biblical interpretation, explores how the New Testament church resisted Roman imperial power while building communities centered on God's kingdom values rather than worldly dominance. Provides practical spiritual disciplines, community-building strategies, and theological frameworks that empower readers to resist empire's dehumanizing effects while cultivating spaces of authentic belonging and liberation. Read more.

For more Public Witness resources, click here.

Prayer for Migrants

A Prayer for Migrants

Good and gracious God,

We pray for all people who are migrating,

particularly those who are forced from their homes or separated from their families

because of threats of violence and persecution.

We ask that you protect and keep them safe.

Although we come from different countries,

and have our origins in different cultures,

we were created by you, and are made in your image and therefore we all share an inalienable dignity that is deserving of respect.

Lord we ask that you give us the strength

to defend those who are marginalized,

to give aid to those in need,

to come to the defense of those

who are poor or vulnerable,

and to welcome those who are on the move

into our homes and into our hearts.

US Conference of Catholic Bishops

Click on these links for more prayers for Immigrants & Refugees

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