Dreamers are American in Every Way Except on Paper

The roughly 800,000 people who have benefited from the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program — more of whom live in Los Angeles than anywhere else in the country — are American in every way except on paper.

By Erwin Raphael McManus

Now the president has decided to not renew DACA, giving Congress a six-month window to find a permanent solution, through legislation, to this complicated issue. Christians throughout our country are raising their voices, calling on this administration and on Congress to set aside differences and quickly come together to ensure that these young people can continue to contribute and thrive in the country they consider their home.As a follower of Christ, I find myself with a moral imperative to speak out for these who are dependent upon us to advocate on their behalf.While I understand and respect the importance of borders and security, those protected by this policy are worthy of our compassion and concern. This is not a question of border security — these individuals have already been in the country for many years, some for decades.We know that these individuals are not a threat to public safety: each has already passed a criminal background check as a prerequisite to being granted deferred action.They are not to be feared but embraced as immigrants who define the American spirit... READ FULL STORY AT THE CHRISTIAN POSTErwin Raphael McManus is the founder of MOSAIC, a church with locations in Hollywood, Santa Monica, and South Pasadena, and the author of The Last Arrow.

READ: ‘There Is No Neutral Ground Here,’ Erwin McManus Says to The Church [Interview]

DACA: Rev Samuel Rodriguez, Hispanic Christians Call For 'Unrelenting Pressure' On Congress

In reaction to today's decision by the White House to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference (NHCLC) led by Rev. Samuel Rodriguez posted the following on its website:

Hispanic Christians to Launch National 60-Day Campaign in Support of DREAMers,

Will Put 'Unrelenting Pressure' on Members of Congress Until 'Every DREAMer can Dream Again'

“We do not intend on letting a single member of Congress have a good night’s rest until they guarantee our young people can rest easy.” — Rev. Samuel RodriguezSACRAMENTO, Calif. — Today, in light of the White House’s decision on DACA, the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference and its affiliate churches and organizations, announces a national campaign intent on putting “unrelenting pressure” on “every” member of Congress until a permanent, legislative solution is provided for “DREAMers.”“Hundreds-of-thousands of Hispanic young people will be overcome with fear and grief today. Simultaneously, a multi-ethnic coalition of tens-of-millions of law abiding, U.S. citizens will begin to put unrelenting pressure on members of Congress to provide a permanent solution for DREAMers, whose fate is in question by no fault of their own,” said Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, President of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference.“For far too long in this country, Hispanic young people have been the political bargaining chips of our powerful politicians. This is an affront to the sanctity of life, it is inhumane, and the Hispanic community will stand for it no longer. Our elected members of Congress have time and again, professed concern for the Hispanic community and yet, have chosen to do nothing. We will not distinguish between Republicans and Democrats but between those who stand for righteousness and justice and those who do not.”Among other actions, the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference will be temporarily relocating additional staff to Washington, D.C., launching a national media campaign, rallying tens-of-thousands of the nation’s spiritual leaders, coordinating weekly meetings on Capitol Hill and in State Capitols. Additionally, the NHCLC will be organizing a “fly-in” of hundreds of prominent Hispanic leaders from throughout North America for a prayer meeting on the evening of Oct. 30, followed by a series of Congressional visits on Oct. 31.Of President Donald J. Trump’s decision to phaseout DACA, the Rev. Samuel Rodriguez says the following:“I am disappointed that these protections are ending and I’ve expressed that disappointment to the White House directly. I also understand why they chose this course of action. If the fate of DACA is any indication, then it was only a matter of time before DACA would face a similar fate in the courts and, in fact, the entire program could be ceased immediately by a court order rather than being phased out. Thankfully, it is the job of Congress to make laws, and now the President has provided Congress a six month window to legislate a more permanent and legally defensible solution for DREAMers. Six months is too long, we will demand action from Congress within 60 days. We do not intend on letting a single member of Congress have a good night’s rest until they guarantee our young people can rest easy. We will not be silent until every DREAMer can dream again.”The National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference is a non-partisan organization that has long been numbered among the nation’s foremost advocates for comprehensive immigration reform. It is the organization’s official position that it is primarily the responsibility of Congress to address the nation’s longstanding challenges with immigration policy. In that capacity Rev. Samuel Rodriguez has worked with Democrat and Republican majorities in Congress as well as with Presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Donald J. Trump in advocating for comprehensive immigration reform.NHCLC's statement originally published here.