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‘Reprehensible’

WEB3-IMMIGRATION-PROTEST-AMERICA-PEOPLE-Victoria Pickering-CC

Victoria Pickering-CC

Deacon Greg Kandra - published on 09/05/17

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This is how the USCCB has responded to President Trump’s decision on DACA:

The cancellation of the DACA program is reprehensible. It causes unnecessary fear for DACA youth and their families. These youth entered the U.S. as minors and often know America as their only home. The Catholic Church has long watched with pride and admiration as DACA youth live out their daily lives with hope and a determination to flourish and contribute to society: continuing to work and provide for their families, continuing to serve in the military, and continuing to receive an education. Now, after months of anxiety and fear about their futures, these brave young people face deportation. This decision is unacceptable and does not reflect who we are as Americans. The Church has recognized and proclaimed the need to welcome young people: ‘Whoever welcomes one of these children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me’ (Mark 9:37). Today, our nation has done the opposite of how Scripture calls us to respond. It is a step back from the progress that we need to make as a country. Today’s actions represent a heartbreaking moment in our history that shows the absence of mercy and good will, and a short-sighted vision for the future. DACA youth are woven into the fabric of our country and of our Church, and are, by every social and human measure, American youth. We strongly urge Congress to act and immediately resume work toward a legislative solution. We pledge our support to work on finding an expeditious means of protection for DACA youth. As people of faith, we say to DACA youth – regardless of your immigration status, you are children of God and welcome in the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church supports you and will advocate for you.

More reaction is pouring in from individual bishops around the country. Stay tuned.

UPDATE…Some responses:

“The decision to phase out the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals executive order is malicious. It is plainly and clearly wrong for this Administration to use as a political tool the lives, futures and security of some 800,000 young people whose only crime, if you ever could call it that, was that they lovingly and obediently accompanied their parents in pursuit of the dream of freedom and opportunity.”  — Cardinal Joseph Tobin, Archdiocese of Newark * “Please join me in praying that our elected leaders will consider the great contributions of the so called Dreamers to our economy and our society and decide to accept them as Americans, allowing them to stay in the only country they have ever known as home.”— Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio, Diocese of Brooklyn * “While reasonable people may disagree about the nature and scope of former President Barack Obama’s Executive Action that established DACA, we can all agree DACA is not a permanent solution. Our DACA youths’ precarious legal and political situation overshadows their daily life and work. Their situation demands a resolution that is befitting of their human dignity. We call upon our elected officials at the federal level to move forward and find permanent legislative solutions to ensure that DACA youth may remain in the United States, where they may continue to reach their God-given potential. We promise to work with lawmakers from all parties to ensure that DACA youth are able to stay in this country and live in peace.” — Nebraska Catholic Conference  * “Today President Trump ended the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program and the dreams of nearly a million young people covered by the executive order and applying for inclusion. In the past the president stated that the Dreamer story ‘is about the heart,’ yet today’s decision is nothing short of heartless.”—Cardinal Blaise Cupich, Archdiocese of Chicago * “It’s one thing to tighten the security of our borders and to deport violent criminals. It’s a different and much uglier thing to punish young people who’ve grown up in the United States as their home.”—Archbishop Charles Chaput, Archdiocese of Philadelphia
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