Participants, who lobbied U.S. lawmakers after the conference for tougher legislation to combat the problem, learned about its complexities and its global dimensions.

The chairmen of two U.S. bishops' committees said July 3 they oppose a proposed rule by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development that they say would lead to separation or housing instability for many families.

Maribel’s plight highlights the despair and desperation of many migrants, who flee violence, poverty and, increasingly, drought and the early effects of climate change in Central America.

The report quotes one senior government manager as calling the situation "a ticking time bomb."

If the frontier of the U.S.-Mexico border represents the America that would exclude me, space is the frontier that invites me.

Sister Munoz said she does her best to inform migrants of the risks and realities on the road. She also tries to disabuse shelter dwellers of any erroneous ideas—such as the existence of immigration documents for them—and does not sugarcoat her answers.