As President Donald Trump’s deadline for the expiration of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals quickly approaches, Valley Interfaith leaders gathered Tuesday morning to send approximately 10,000 postcard-styled petitions to legislators in Congress.
BROWNSVILLE — As President Donald Trump’s deadline for the expiration of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals quickly approaches, Valley Interfaith leaders gathered Tuesday morning to send approximately 10,000 postcard-styled petitions to legislators in Congress.
“The Bible is clear. We are to welcome the immigrant, as we were once immigrants in a foreign land,” said Msgr. Heberto Diaz, pastor of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Brownsville. “We now call on our elected officials to welcome the Dreamers and create a path to citizenship for these youths that were brought to this country when they were young.”
The Valley Interfaith contingent is calling on Congress to keep DACA as it is or to pass legislation that would provide a path to citizenship for young undocumented immigrants brought to this country as children.
Last September, Trump scrapped former President Barack Obama’s DACA policy, which let people brought to this country work and avoid deportation.
Trump has given Congress until March 5 to present him with alternative legislation to DACA, which he wants to also contain funding for border security, including funds for building a border wall. Trump also wants any bill to limit the nation’s immigration laws.
Bishop Daniel E. Flores of the Catholic Diocese of Brownsville was among the Valley Interfaith leaders contingent that gathered Tuesday morning in the Parish Hall at St. Mary’s Catholic Church.
“Young people are not statistics. They are not just numbers. They are not just blips on a screen. They are young people with hopes and with dreams,” Flores said. “And as I said, they came here when they were very, very young. And they have, in many ways, contributed a great deal to our society.”
A more complete version of this story is available on www.myBrownsvilleHerald.com
