NETWORK Decries Reports of Mistreatment of Migrant People at Rio Grande

For Immediate Release: July 20, 2023

WASHINGTON—NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice condemns the horrific practices of pushing back children and their families to their deaths at the Texas/Mexico border and the news reports that these practices were ordered by Governor Greg Abbott. As a Catholic Social Justice lobby founded by Catholic Sisters, NETWORK has consistently lobbied for humane and just border policies and practices that treat people with dignity.

“These illegal and immoral practices are a direct result of the anti-immigrant rhetoric that dehumanizes asylum seekers. It is U.S. politicians who are breaking U.S. laws and are pushing practices of cruelty. All of us who call the U.S. home cannot allow fear to usurp our common humanity and must ensure the U.S. protects the dignity of people seeking safety. President Biden must intervene to stop these hateful policies and practices,” said Ronnate Asirwatham, Director, Government Relations.

A story published this week by Ben Wermund of the Houston Chronicle, “Exclusive: Texas troopers told to push migrants into Rio Grande, deny water to migrants, records say,” sheds light on persistent efforts to dehumanize, traumatize, and put at harm immigrants at the U.S.-Mexico border.

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NETWORK – advocates for justice inspired by Catholic Sisters – educates, organizes, and lobbies for economic and social transformation. With a 50-year record of accomplishment and more than 100,000 supporters across the country, NETWORK lobbies for federal programs and policies that support those at the margins and prioritize the common good. www.networklobby.org