CHERRY HILL – Bishop Joseph A. Williams prayed for migrants and immigrants as he recently took part in an evening of reflection titled “Welcome the Stranger, as Christ has Welcomed You.”
“In a world darkened by war and injustice, migrants and refugees stand as messengers of hope,” the Bishop, echoing the words of Pope Leo XIV, told the nearly 100 people gathered at Saint Thomas More Parish for the “Path Toward Justice” service. “They can be missionaries of hope to the countries that welcome them.”
The evening of prayer, which took place Sept. 24 during National Migration Week, included testimony from Julie Moreno, state captain for American Families United. Moreno, who lives in Newark, is an advocate for mixed-status families.
During her testimony, she explained how her husband, Nef Juarez, came to the United States in 2000 after his father died. As a man in his early 20s, Juarez wanted to earn money to send back to his mother and siblings in Mexico.
“He sacrificed 25 years here in an act to support them,” she said.
He and Moreno met in 2008 and married nearly 10 years later. Though Juarez tried to navigate the immigration process numerous times, there was no clear path to legal status due to immigration laws that date back three decades, she explained. As such, her husband self-deported to Mexico last year.
“The laws are not easy to navigate. They are not designed to help families stay together,” Moreno said. “We need to change how we look at immigration. What we call law is not a message of morality.”
She urged all in attendance to become familiar with immigration laws and advocate for mixed-status families, especially since about 1.5 million U.S. citizens are married to undocumented immigrants.
“My husband has apologized for the pain he has caused me” from living in fear of deportation, she said. “But to me, he is a hero for all the sacrifices he has made.”
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