USA: hundreds of calls to the US Bishops Conference to assist South-American children separated from their parents

(from New York) Hundreds of calls from families and singles are overwhelming the US Bishops Conference’s switchboard operators to provide assistance to the South-American children who have been separated from their parents at the USA-Mexico border. The Catholic News Service (Cns) says that on June 20^th alone the Commission for refugees and migrants received more than 300 calls, spurred by the images of crying children, distressed parents and the news that the Pentagon asked for 20 thousand mattresses to be sent to the border, since the military bases have been converted into refugees for adults, while waiting for a procedure that will decide whether they will be given refugee status or expelled. However, the President’s announcement to immediately go on with expulsions could change the usual procedures that have been carried out so far, but executive orders will have to be issued before such statements can be acted upon. “This is not about Catholic charity – Katie Kuennen, associate director of the migrant children’s office, wanted to tell CNS –; this is about opening one’s homes and taking them in”. Actually, there are many families on the other end of the line who have volunteered to foster these children, but unfortunately lots of them do not have a public licence authorising them to do so, and the Catholic agencies cannot always issue such licences, not least because the courses are really expensive. The urgency of the predicament could drive the Federal Office for refugees to provide funds that may help promote such courses and push the families to attend them.