The federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program will expire on March 5, 2018 unless Congress acts to make the DACA protections permanent. In order to meet that deadline, it is urgent that Congress and the White House address this injustice.
Congress has the ability to enact legislation to provide legal status for the 800,000 immigrant youths (often referred to as “Dreamers”) who were brought to the U.S. as children by their parents without legal authorization. These are the people that live next door. They go to work and we sit next to them at church on Sunday.
Bishops around the United States, and especially in California, are calling on all people of faith and good-will to contact their local representatives by phone, email or letter to urge them to do the right thing and support the DREAM Act and make the DACA protections permanent.
“Our elected officials know what they need to do. They need to know right now that we care — and that millions of voters care also,” said Archbishop Gomez of Los Angeles in a letter to all people of faith.
Take Action to Support Dreamers here or visit this page for prayers and other actions you can do to defend the lives of more than 800,000 young people. Send an email to your elected officials below. And share this message with your friends and families.