In recent days, the archbishop has walked through the rawness of helping a community heal from two major heartbreaks: the killing of 19 defenseless fourth-graders in a mass shooting and a group of dehydrated men and women found dead or dying of heat stroke inside a trailer.
“Our commitment to preventing human trafficking, protecting and helping survivors reclaim their lives, and prosecuting those who commit these horrific crimes must be strong, powerful and courageous,” said U.S. Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J.
According to local media, the migrants were rescued by police from inside a house where they and others were kept by human smugglers.
Authorities said June 29 the death toll had risen to at least 53. Originally, first responders pulled 16 people alive from the rig, including 12 adults and four teenagers.
The statement released by the White House and signed by the heads of state of Mexico and several countries in Central and South America said that “migration should be a voluntary, informed choice and not a necessity,” and it makes the task of aiding migrants and refugees a shared responsibility among many nations.
A panel of Guatemalans in exile expressed worries about the stifling of democracy and rule of law in Central America and said that failure on the part of the U.S. to battle corruption there would continue to drive mass migration from the region.
The White House said providing baby formula to migrants at the border, even as the country faces a shortage of it, is “morally the right thing to do.”
“We cannot leave to future generations the burden of responsibility for decisions that need to be made now so that God’s plan for the world may be realized and his kingdom of justice, fraternity and peace may come,” the pope wrote in his message for the celebration Sept. 25 of the World Day of Migrants and Refugees.
