Washington, DC – Yesterday, the Trump Administration released a memo that undermines the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and continues the attacks on Dreamers and undocumented young people. The memo announces the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)’s plan to reject new DACA applications; reject new advanced parole requests except in exceptional circumstances; and immediately limit all pending DACA renewals to one-year grants instead of two—increasing the financial and emotional burden on current DACA recipients.
This announcement sidesteps last month’s U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) decision, which ruled that the Trump administration did not provide adequate justification to rescind DACA in 2017. The SCOTUS decision was celebrated by DACA recipients, faith leaders, and advocates as a step towards justice for immigrant communities.
DACA has provided temporary protection from deportation and the ability to work and pursue education to almost 800,000 people who came to the U.S. as children. Over 200,000 DACA recipients are currently serving on the frontlines of the pandemic, working to protect the health and safety of Americans across the U.S. as we confront COVID-19. Despite their many contributions to our communities, DACA recipients, undocumented youth, and their loved ones are once again facing the threat of the program ending.
Instead of supporting frontline workers and fostering unity in our communities during this time of crisis, the Trump Administration is choosing to threaten 300,000 DACA-eligible undocumented youth with deportation while also heightening enforcement in our cities. These actions are inhumane, nonsensical, and an affront to our faith values.
“There are no words to express how disappointed I am by this latest announcement,” said Giovana Oaxaca, DACA recipient and Government Relations Associate with NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice. “Trump is circumventing the Supreme Court’s mandate to reinstate the program and begin accepting new, first-time applicants. Potentially hundreds of thousands of undocumented youth would be eligible for protections had Trump not illegally rescinded DACA in 2017. That includes thousands of Black immigrant youth who face additional risks of arrest for being Black in America. For years, Trump’s escalating attacks against immigrants have created big rifts in protections. My undocumented brothers and sisters live under threat—that is no way to live at all. We must continue to use our voice to demand broader protections, including a pathway to citizenship, not more barriers for immigration.”
“As a DACA recipient, you are often told that you broke the law, or that you should have followed the law. The highest court in the U.S. told the Trump Administration they must reinstate the DACA program to its original 2012 form. Instead of following the law, the Trump administration decided to roll back the DACA program,” said José Arnulfo Cabrera, Director of Education and Advocacy for Migration at the Ignatian Solidarity Network. “One thing I do agree with the administration on is that Congress must act now. The U.S. Senate must pass legislation that provides a pathway to citizenship for DACA recipients and undocumented young people that also protects their families and communities.”
“This continues the administration’s immoral act of using immigrants as political pawns in order to advance a xenophobic and racist ideology,” said Peniel Ibe, Policy Engagement Coordinator for the American Friends Service Committee. “During a time of pandemic and a growing movement to end violence from law enforcement against Black and Brown people, we need these protections more than ever. By increasing the financial burden on DACA recipients through a reduction of the duration of renewals to one year, the administration is compounding the effects of its inhumane policies against DACA recipients. We have a moral obligation to use our voices when policies are implemented that hurt individuals. We are calling on the administration to halt any enforcement activities against DACA recipients and undocumented young people and cease all attacks on the DACA program.”
“The prophet Micah generations ago called for people of faith to ‘act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God.’ Yesterday’s DHS memo sadly turns away from the moral conscience of our nation. It shuns humility by denying the Supreme Court’s ruling, unmercifully imposes new limitations on protections, and unjustly expands costs for renewals. Only permanent protections from Congress can stop the repeated suffering imposed by such policies upon the lives of DACA recipients and their families who contribute so much to our congregations and communities,” said Rev. Dr. Sharon Stanley-Rea, Director, Disciples Refugee & Immigration Ministries.
“The administration’s wrongful attempt to subvert the Supreme Court’s order on DACA puts the lives of 300,000 undocumented young people without DACA at threat of deportation, all while our immigrant neighbors face heightened enforcement and the threat of family separation. Eliminating protection from deportation for DACA recipients is particularly cruel, especially during a global health crisis. The administration’s actions are unconscionable and immoral. Faith communities across the United States raised their voices in support of DACA recipients countless times. We are called to welcome our neighbor. We recognize the God-given dignity in all human beings regardless of their immigration status and will continue our work alongside DACA recipients and all undocumented people to fight for permanent legal status and citizenship in the United States. We urge Congress to immediately pass a permanent, legislative solution, like the Dream and Promise Act, without harming other immigrant communities,” said Rev. John L. McCullough, President, and CEO of Church World Service.
“Once again President Trump is spreading fear and division,” said Sister Simone Campbell, SSS, Executive Director of NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice. “His administration is cruelly rejecting the values of our nation by denying the inherent right that young DACA recipients have to live in dignity. In the midst of the pandemic, which has destabilized so many families already, removing certainty upends the lives of people doing their best to keep food on the table and a roof over their heads. I unequivocally condemn this new policy and call on Congress to pass legislation that provides permanent protection and pathways to citizenship for all Dreamers.”
As an interfaith community, we denounce this cruel decision and urge Congress to act immediately to protect the DACA program; pass legislation that provides permanent protection and pathways to citizenship for immigrants, such as the Dream and Promise Act; and defund agencies like Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) that harm immigrant communities. We will continue to stand in solidarity with Dreamers and advocate for policies that allow Dreamers and all immigrants to flourish as image-bearers of the Divine.
The Interfaith Immigration Coalition is made up of 55 national, faith-based organizations brought together across many theological traditions with a common call to seek just policies that lift up the God-given dignity of every individual. In partnership, we work to protect the rights, dignity, and safety of all refugees and migrants.
Follow us on Twitter @interfaithimm
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