International Migrants Day was established by the United Nations in 2000. The day of recognition highlights the complexity of migration and the ways in which conflicts, climate-related disasters and economic pressures drive people to seek safety.
This year’s theme is “My Great Story: Cultures and Development.” It’s meant to illustrate how migration drives growth, enriches societies and helps communities connect, adapt and support one another.
In light of International Migrants Day, Holy Cross Ministries is emphasizing that it stands in solidarity with the immigrant community it serves in Utah.
Executive Director Emmie Gardner said the Sisters of the Holy Cross, which sponsors Holy Cross Ministries, has a similar stance on migration as this year’s theme.
“We come from a place of assuming good intent, that most people want to stay where they are,” she said. “They want to be in their culture and their language and their foods and all of that, but for whatever reason, they need to leave.”
Gardner said there have been many changes in the immigration process since President Donald Trump took office.
According to the Migration Policy Institute, there has been a sharp drop in unauthorized migration at the U.S.-Mexico border due to new border controls and asylum restrictions as well as promised mass deportations.
There were 444,000 migrant encounters at the border in fiscal year 2025 compared to 2.1 million the year prior.
Gardner said funding for organizations that support immigrant families, such as the International Rescue Committee and Catholic Community Services, has also been cut by the administration.
“While there's no more refugees coming in, the folks that they have here that were being resettled, they lost the funding to continue to support those folks,” she said. “It’s just a hot mess.”
Holy Cross Ministries focuses on health, education and justice when supporting immigrant families. It has also traditionally helped immigrants who are victims of domestic violence.
Now, Gardner said the nonprofit is focusing on supporting kids with mixed status.
“Kids that are in mixed-status families that are feeling the stress of, what if I come home and my parents aren't there? What do I do? And then what if I've got to be responsible for my younger siblings and all of that kind of, I mean, issues kids should not have to be dealing with at this point in their lives,” she said.
To provide enough support, Holy Cross Ministries is working on increasing its mental health space. The nonprofit has eight therapists and the Wasatch Back waitlist is full; there’s about an eight-week waiting period.
To aid in that support, Holy Cross Ministries encourages locals to reach out to migrants.
