For our final episode of Season 9, we are humbled to welcome Joseph Cardinal Tobin, Archbishop of Newark, NJ. Cardinal Tobin talks about growing up in a thriving Catholic parish in Detroit, MI, and later serving there as a Redemptorist priest when the parish had become increasingly ethnically diverse. He offers his sharp critiques of the campaign of mass deportation that runs counter to the Biblical call to welcome the stranger. He talks about Pope Francis, whose concern for migrants grew from listening to the needs of the Church. Cardinal Tobin participated in the conclave to elect Pope Leo, so he shares from that remarkable experience, and the efforts of all the Cardinals to listen to the Holy Spirit.

Brian and Joe share stories about the importance of listening. Joe talks about a recent experience listening to Kevin and Aidéy, a migrant couple in northern Mexico going through some relationship struggles. As they live in separate shelters, they have been sending handwritten notes back and forth and reflecting on the importance of listening to one another to maintain a healthy relationship. Brian shares that story of Brianna, a young girl from Honduras, who taught him a beautiful lesson in the value of listening without presumption or judgment, but with an open heart. Her small gesture during Mass reminds us why Jesus called children among the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Thank you for joining us for this season, and blessings as we approach the end of the year. We will be back with a new season in early 2026.

We are delighted to welcome Sue Weishar, a lifelong immigrant advocate who lives in New Orleans, LA. She is the former director of Immigration and Refugee Services at Catholic Charities in the Archdiocese of New Orleans and a former policy and research fellow with Jesuit Social Research Institute (JSRI) at Loyola University New Orleans. Currently, she is the chair of the social justice committee at her local parish, St. Anthony of Padua. Sue talks about the positive impact of immigrants in the city of New Orleans, especially in the recovery efforts after Hurricane Katrina. She shares stories of the way her parish and community have been impacted by increased immigrant enforcement, including the separation of families.

Brian and Joe also share stories of families who are separated as a result of immigration policy. Joe shares the story of Amanda, a teenage girl at a shelter in Reynosa, who he connected with over a mutual interest in the writings of JRR Tolkien (although we will let you guess which one is the bigger fan!). Amanda was with her dad and siblings in Mexico, while her mom lives in Texas: a family separated, trying to decide how to reunite. Brian shares the story of Javier, who was picked up by ICE and deported after living two decades in the U.S., leaving behind his wife and kids. Brian was impressed to hear him look for the bright side of his difficult situation.

Immigrant Workers’ Critical Role in Rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina and Present Realities

We are thrilled to welcome Mario Russell, the Executive Director of the Center for Migration Studies (CMS). CMS is a Catholic think tank devoted to the study of international migration. Mario talks about the background of the center and the research they are engaged in. He talks about his experience as a recent college graduate in the 1980s working with an immigrant community as President Regan’s amnesty program was signed into law, providing a pathway for over 3 million migrants to legalize their status. He speaks about the rule of law and the value of tempering law with compassion and mercy. Mario offers his perspective on diverse topics including climate refugees, family separation, mass deportations, and asylum reform.

Brian and Joe reflect on the results of a strict adherence to the rule of law, which has contributed to the drastic increase in migrant detention in the U.S. They share the story of a recent experience celebrating Mass together at an ICE detention center in Port Isabel, TX. The experience brought one of the men to tears as he reflected on what he is grateful for in light of the Gospel of the day, in which one of the ten lepers healed by Jesus returned to give thanks.

We are delighted to welcome Sr. Nora Ruiz, who is a children’s advocate and the volunteer coordinator at the La Posada Providencia shelter in San Benito, TX. She is a Sister of the Holy Spirit and Mary Immaculate, a vocation which she came to later in life. Sr. Nora shares the motivations for entering a religious order at 55 years old, which was a big change in direction for her life. She also talks about witnessing the change in direction of migrants, as the shelter has not been receiving north-bound migrants who have come to the U.S. this year since access to the country for asylum seekers has been eliminated. Instead, the shelter has started to accompany a few families in processes of self deportation to return to their home countries, which is a difficult decision for a family to make, and much more complicated to do than one would expect.

Brian and Joe share stories from their own ministry about changes of direction. Brian talks about Karen, a single mother with two kids who had their appointment for legal entry to the U.S. canceled in January. After waiting months to see if there would be a change in border policy to create a legal pathway for them, Karen was left to make a difficult decision about what direction to take her family: separating herself from her kids or returning home. Joe shares the story of Yaquelin, a young woman from Honduras, who made a different change of direction. She was given a scholarship to attend a beauty school in Mexico, and she took advantage to expand her skill base. In fact, she was even looking for people to practice nail care on, and she found someone on our team who was willing to let her practice. Can you guess who got their first manicure?

Link: Meet the businesswoman who became a nun in her 50s

We are excited to welcome Glenn Butner, who is an Associate Professor of Theology at the Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary in Massachusetts. He is also the author of “Jesus the Refugee: Ancient Injustice and Modern Solidarity.” He speaks at length about his book, which is a fascinating thought experiment about whether the Holy Family would be considered refugees under modern constructs, and whether a country would grant protection to them in their flight from Herod. Glenn also shares a moving story of encounter in Costa Rica with Nicaraguan migrants when he struggled to figure out how to help.

Brian and Joe share stories from their ministry. Brian tells the story of Nikolai and Elena, two Russian asylum seekers who fled the country in fear of being drafted for the war in Ukraine. They participate in the Mass despite the language differences, and reveal the face of Jesus in their bear hugs and Uno gameplay. Joe shares the story of a recent day at Casa del Migrante when he challenged himself to introduce everyone in the shelter by their name and country of origin. Turns out, he might not have known as many of them as he thought! Hilarity ensued.

We are delighted to welcome Sr. Erin McDonald, CSJ, who is the co-host of the Beyond the Habit podcast. Sr. Erin is a Sister of St. Joseph and is currently working in young adult ministry. She also has an extensive background accompanying refugees and asylum seekers. Before entering religious life, she set off for a refugee camp in Rwanda to work for Jesuit Refugee Services. Building on that experience, Sr. Erin later worked in refugee resettlement in Cleveland and case management for asylum seekers in Detroit. She expresses her deep concerns about the direction our country has moved on receiving migrants, and she shares a couple of powerful stories from her experience.

Brian and Joe talk about how migrants they have met used their own past experiences, much like Sr. Erin, to help people in need around them. Joe shares the story of Manoucheca, a young mom from Haiti who speaks fluent Spanish and has a medical background. She immediately stepped up when fellow Haitian asylum seekers needed translation and medical help. Brian talks about our friend Isis, who is being held in detention in Michigan. Isis has struggled emotionally, so Brian wrote him a letter encouraging him to use his experience living in the migrant shelter to be a light for others amid the darkness of detention.

For our first full episode of Season 9, we are humbled to welcome Bishop Michael Pham of the Diocese of San Diego, CA. Bishop Pham was the first U.S. bishop appointed by Pope Leo XIV. He shares the harrowing story of fleeing Vietnam as a young boy on a small boat that nearly capsized in the sea. Bishop Pham also talks about an experience this summer attending immigration court to walk with migrants. He calls out our immigration enforcement approach that is criminalizing migrants and separating families, when our country should be a place of refuge, as it was for him and his family decades ago.

Brian and Joe open up the new season talking about what it means to find refuge. Brian shares the story of Naomi, a single mom from Honduras with a five-month old son. They were denied refuge in the U.S. when they crossed the border and were rapidly sent back into Mexico. At the local shelter, the women rallied to support this young mother, showing her what it means to provide refuge. Joe shares the story of Marialex, a young girl in Matamoros, who showed how small actions can speak loudly in offering welcome and inclusion. She is basically our altar server all-star, and you will understand why.

We are getting ready to launch Season 9 of The Jesuit Border Podcast. We have seen a lot of changes on the border and across the country since our last season ended in April.

In this teaser, we share stories that help paint the picture of the border reality and what concerns us about migrant enforcement in the U.S. Joe shares the stories of Victoria and Lian, two migrant children living in shelters in northern Mexico who bring their joy and innocence to our masses and the games we play together. Victoria even gave Joe a silly new nickname.

The families of Victoria and Lian, along with others at the shelters, find themselves stuck. There is no legal entry into the U.S. to seek protection. The shelters are at the lowest populations we have ever seen, but those who remain are the most vulnerable.

While the border has grown quiet with a dwindling migrant population, we are deeply concerned about migration enforcement in the U.S. Brian shares the stories of Isis and Carlos. Isis was detained in April on false accusations of gang membership based only on his tattoos. Carlos had his case closed in immigration court despite his protests and was swept up by masked ICE agents waiting outside.

Tune in to our teaser to hear these stories and more about the reality on the border and around the country.

The first full episode of the new season will be released on Tuesday, October 7th, 2025.

For our final episode of Season 8, we are thrilled to welcome Jason De Leon, anthropologist, researcher and professor at UCLA, and award-winning author. Jason’s recent book, “Soldiers and Kings: Survival and Hope in the World of Human Smuggling” won the 2024 National Book Award for Nonfiction. Jason talks about how conversations with migrants at archaeological digs in central Mexico led to his interest in immigration. He shares stories of people that have stuck with him over the years, including a young man from Ecuador who went missing in the desert along the US-Mexico border. He describes the history of “prevention through deterrence,” a US border policy that weaponizes the desert to inflict harm on migrants in order to try to deter entry. Jason shares how his latest book, “Soldiers and Kings,” came about by just being present to smugglers in Mexico and listening to them as they shared their stories. 

Brian and Joe also share stories of being present to people in moments of need. Joe shares the story of Joana, who was stuck in the shelter after legal entry to the US was shut off to vulnerable migrants. As she walked off from the Mass in tears one day, Joe shares the frustration of being unable to help, but the gift that comes from just being present and holding someone as they cry. Brian shares the story of Laura, a young woman from Honduras who has been separated from her mom who has been living in the US for over twenty years. Unable to legally enter, Laura continues to live at the local shelter in northern Mexico, and loves preparing desserts to share. Her mom is undocumented in the US, and lives in fear of deportation after decades of establishing her life here. 

The situation of Laura and her mom reflects the reality we encounter as Season 8 comes to a close. Many vulnerable migrants remain stuck at the border, unable to return home and with no legal pathway of entry. And millions of migrants across the US live in fear of imprisonment and deportation, and continue to be criminalized, often just for being migrants.

Thanks for joining us for this season, and blessings on your Holy Week. We’ll be back with a new season in the Fall of 2025.

We are delighted to welcome Sr. Patricia Mulderick, RSM, from the immigration cohort of ARISE Adelante. ARISE Adelante empowers immigrants living in low income communities in south Texas to attain a better life for themselves, their families, and their community. Sr. Patricia has been part of the immigration cohort at ARISE for a few years, after spending 37 years in South America. She talks about her journey from growing up in coal-country Pennsylvania to becoming a Sister of Mercy and spending decades in Peru. Along with working at ARISE, Sr. Patricia has dedicated time to accompanying migrants in camps and shelters in Reynosa and shares moving stories of encountering Christ in the people she has gotten to know through prayer, conversation, and artwork.

Brian and Joe share stories that reflect how we can be invited to be Christ to one another. Brian tells the story of a recent Zoom reunion with people who had spent time at migrant shelters in northern Mexico and are now living across the US. This year has been marked by a lot of fear and uncertainty for the migrant community, so the gathering gave people an opportunity to connect, share, and pray. Joe tells the story of his recent birthday celebration. When the kids at Senda 2 were praying over him, he had to kneel down to their level. As they placed their hands on his bowed head, he felt the presence of Christ himself made manifest through the children.