Interfaith Leaders Respond to End of DACA, Call on Congress to Pass a Clean Dream Act
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 5, 2017
MEDIA CONTACT
Michelle Nealy, mnealy@faithinpubliclife.org, (202)735-7123
Mackenzie Harris, mharris@faithinpubliclife.org, (610)283-8879
Interfaith Leaders Respond to End of DACA, Call on Congress to Pass a Clean Dream Act
Washington, DC — On Thursday, October 5th, prominent faith leaders responded with moral outrage at the Trump administration’s ending of the application period to renew Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), which puts the futures of 800,000 immigrant youth in peril.
To see how faith leaders and immigrant youth have taken action, click here.
Rev. Jennifer Butler, CEO, Faith in Public Life, Washington, DC:
“I want to send a message in particular to the Senators and Representatives who call yourselves Christians. The Bible says that which we do to the most marginalized among us, we do to Christ himself. To turn your back on the Dreamers is to turn your back on Christ. I pray that the Christians in Congress take that Gospel seriously, and I pray that they have the backbone to pass a clean DREAM Act that protects the futures of young American immigrants.”
Rev. Rich Nathan, Senior Pastor, Vineyard Columbus, OH:
“I pastor a large multi-ethnic evangelical Christian church in Columbus, Ohio, where 1/6 of our members were born outside of the United States. Over 200 young adults have gone through the DACA process in our Immigration Clinic. Failing to pass a Dream Act will literally destroy the lives of dozens of our church members’ families. I urge Congress and the President to pass a clean Dream Act for the sake of my Christian brothers and sisters at Vineyard Columbus.”
Rev. Gabriel Salguero, Pastor, Calvario City Church; President, National Latino Evangelical Coalition, Orlando, FL:
“Now is not the time to turn these young people away, but rather to remove the fear of deportation and family separation. These brave youth give us hope and inspire us to never give up on our dreams. Jesus said, ‘Of such is the kingdom of heaven.’ We have a moral obligation to welcome the immigrant, uphold the dignity of all people and affirm our nation’s value of building a brighter future together. Immigrant youth are no different than our biblical ancestors who were once strangers and who found welcome. We can and must do better.”
Deacon Juan Sandoval, Cathedral of St. Phillips, Atlanta, GA:
“We ask for passage of legislation that will provide a path to legal status for young immigrants who are losing their DACA protections. Without protection afforded by DACA or a legislative solution, these young people will live in fear of arrest, detention, and deportation to countries they may not remember. In six months, those fears may become reality, so we must use that time wisely to advocate for their protection.”
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