US Bishops welcome Supreme
Court decision on DACA
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| In San Diegom USA, demonstrators hold signs during a rally in support of the DACA immigration program (AFP) |
The Bishops of the United States express their support for a
Supreme Court decision preventing the Trump administration from ending the
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) immigration program.
By Vatican News
The United States Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that the
decision of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to end the Deferred Action
for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) immigration program was made improperly and
therefore cannot go forward for the time being. The Supreme Court ordered the
issue be sent back to the DHS “so that it may consider the problem anew.”
The Bishops of the United States welcomed the Supreme
Court’s decision in a statement signed by USCCB President Archbishop José Gomez
and the chairman of the Conference’s Committee on Migration, Bishop Mario
Dorsonville.
"We are with you"
In their statement, the Bishops assure young people eligible
for DACA that the Church “will continue to accompany” them and their families.
“You are a vital part of our Church and our community of faith,” the Bishops
say, adding, “We are with you.”
The statement also urges President Donald Trump “to strongly
reconsider terminating DACA,” noting that “immigrant communities are really
hurting now amidst COVID-19.” Further attempts to halt the program, the Bishops
say, “needlessly places many families into further anxiety and chaos”.
Recalling the teachings of the Gospel, the Bishops say, “in this moment, we
must show compassion and mercy to the vulnerable.”
Putting human dignity first
Finally, the Bishops “strongly encourage our U.S. Senators
to immediately pass legislation that provides a path to citizenship for
Dreamers.” They maintain that “permanent legislative protection that overcomes
partisanship and puts the human dignity and future of Dreamers first is long
overdue.”
DACA
The DACA program was implemented in 2012 under President
Barack Obama after the US Congress failed to pass the so-called DREAM act,
which would have provided a pathway to permanent residency, under several
conditions, for undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as minors.
As noted by the USCCB, since its inception, DACA has “enabled approximately
800,000 young people, who paid a fee and submitted to a background check, the
opportunity to work legally, access educational opportunities and not fear
deportation.” The Bishops also point out that “DACA recipients on average
contribute over $42 billion annually to the U.S. economy.”
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