The provincial ministers of the US Franciscan provinces have spoken out against President Donald Trump’s decision to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
The 780,000 “dreamers” (those who have received deferred action) are good, generous, talented and hard-working individuals. Many of them we know personally in and through our various Franciscan ministries. We have celebrated the DACA program with them as a modern response to the Biblical imperative to “welcome the stranger.” Now, after President Trump’s decision to end the executive action, we commit ourselves to stand in support of and solidarity with “dreamers.”
They “urge all members of the communities we serve to condemn this unnecessary and harmful order by President Trump. Furthermore, [they] call upon all to contact their members of Congress and urge them to pass legislation that will fully welcome dreamers to our nation, remove the permanent shadow of their temporary status and make it illegal to deport or harm them.”
In doing so, the provincial ministers join the US Catholic Bishops in advocating for the bi-partisan “Dream Act of 2017,” H.R.3440 and S. 1615.
The full statement can be read and downloaded here:
Statement on DACA
We have celebrated the DACA program with the “dreamers” as a modern response to the Biblical imperative to “welcome the stranger.” Now, after President Trump’s decision to end the executive action, we commit ourselves to stand in support of and solidarity with “dreamers.”
Declaración sobre DACA (en español)
Hemos celebrado el programa DACA con ellos como una respuesta moderna al imperativo biblico de "dar la bienvenida al extrano". Ahora, despues de la decision del Presidente Trump de poner fin a la accion ejecutiva, nos comprometemos a apoyar y solidarizarnos con los "sonadores."
Tom Washburn
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