Over 600 Faith Leaders Demand that Congress Pass a Clean Dream Act, Protect Young Immigrants

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 17, 2018

MEDIA CONTACT

Michelle Nealy, mnealy@faithinpubliclife.org, (202)735-7123

Over 600 Faith Leaders Demand that Congress Pass a Clean Dream Act, Protect Young Immigrants

Washington, D.C. — Approximately 675 faith leaders from across the country have issued a “moral declaration” calling on Congress to pass a clean Dream Act that protects young immigrants and immigrant families by January 19th. Every day Congress does not act, 122 Dreamers lose protection from deportation because their protection under Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) expires. On March 5, when DACA expires altogether, 1000 Dreamers will lose protection every day.

“As people of faith, we call on the U.S. Congress to respond quickly to a moral crisis and pass a clean Dream Act,” the moral declaration states. “The Trump Administration’s repeal of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) puts approximately 800,000 young immigrants at risk of deportation, lost jobs, health care, and separation from children, spouses and parents. The choice facing Congress is about what kind of nation we choose to be. Will we be a nation that lives out our greatest values of fairness, justice and opportunity or one that succumbs to white supremacy and xenophobia?”

To read the declaration and the full list of signers, click here.

Rev. Jennifer Butler, CEO, Faith in Public Life, and Former Chair of the White House Council on Faith and Neighborhood Partnerships:

“The Bible says that which we do to the most marginalized among us, we do to Christ himself. To turn your back on young immigrants is to turn your back on Christ. I pray that the Christians in Congress take the Gospel seriously, and I pray that they have the backbone to pass a clean DREAM Act that protects the futures of young American immigrants.”

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