BALTIMORE, MD – In the wake of the Key Bridge tragedy, immigrant advocacy organization CASA and Catholic Charities’ Esperanza Center have provided critical support to the families affected by the collapse of the bridge.

While the recovery process continues, CASA and the Esperanza Center have been working to ensure that the families of the fallen bridge workers can travel to the United States. As of the writing of this statement, 16 family members have successfully arrived, and there are eight pending arrivals for the week of April 22.

“Losing a loved one is always difficult. Not being able to celebrate them or bury them because they’re in another country is a heartache no one should have to experience,” said CASA Executive Director Gustavo Torres. “While that is a common reality of our broken immigration system, I’m soothed that at least in this instance, families will be together. Coordinating means they can pay their final respects to their loved ones. In this difficult time, families should be together in love, support, and comfort.”

So far visitor visas have been secured for relatives of all six of the men who were killed when the bridge collapsed on March 26. Siblings and parents will be joining loved ones in the US – some of whom haven’t seen each other in decades – to provide comfort and, in some cases, bring their loved ones back home for burial. In addition to those who are traveling to the US, several family members have also successfully been granted Advanced Parole which will permit them to safely bring their loved ones home. As soon as travel permission was obtained for the families, the Esperanza Center team jumped into action to book flights.

“In the aftermath of the tragic bridge collapse Esperanza Center continues to do all that we can, in collaboration with our community partners and colleagues across Catholic Charities, to support and care for those who have lost loved ones. We are grateful to the families and relatives who have trusted us to support them in this most difficult of times,” said Matthew Dolamore, program director for the Esperanza Center.

While CASA and Esperanza Center have worked to make this happen, the work would have been impossible without the tireless efforts of staff of Senator Chris Van Hollen, the White House, Baltimore City, and Baltimore County Offices of Immigrant Affairs.

“President Biden promised family members that they would be joined by their loved ones when he visited with them,” closed Torres. “Truly, he kept his promise.”

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With over 155,000 lifetime members across 46 US states, CASA is a national powerhouse organization building power and improving the quality of life in working-class: Black, Latino/a/e, Afro-descendent, Indigenous, and Immigrant communities. CASA creates change with its powerbuilding model blending human services, community organizing, and advocacy in order to serve the full spectrum of the needs, dreams, and aspirations of members. www.wearecasa.org

The Esperanza Center is a comprehensive resource center whose mission is to welcome immigrants by offering hope, compassionate services, and the power to improve their lives. For more than 60 years, immigrants from all over the world have trusted Esperanza to help them navigate life in a new country. Our dedicated staff and volunteers provide services related to education, health care, immigration legal matters, family reunification, and general community support to thousands of immigrants each year. cc-md.org/esperanza