FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 21, 2017
CONTACT: media@cwsglobal.org
URGENT MORAL CRISIS EXTENDS INTO THE NEW YEAR, AS CONGRESS FAILS TO PASS A CLEAN DREAM ACT BEFORE THE HOLIDAYS
Thousands of dreamers’ futures uncertain due to Congressional inaction.
Washington, D.C. – CWS is gravely disappointed that Congress has failed to demonstrate moral leadership yet again by not passing the widely-supported and bipartisan Dream Act (S.1615/H.R.3440). Congress voted to fund the government so they could enjoy the holidays with their families, while denying that same dignity to immigrant youth. CWS, our partners, dreamers, and communities of faith across the nation have made clear where we stand: A vote to continue funding the federal government without protecting dreamers is a vote to separate families.
While Congress is in recess, 122 DACA recipients will lose their status each day and be at risk of deportation. By Christmas morning, 13,000 dreamers will have lost their protections since DACA was terminated on September 5th. Just last week, a CWS client was detained and separated from his one-year-old son because of a post office delay, while 4,000 others saw their applications rejected by the government for being late after languishing for weeks at a Postal Service processing center in Chicago.
This isn’t a partisan issue. Thirty-four House Republicans signed a letter urging Speaker Paul Ryan to have a vote on permanent protections for DACA recipients by the end of 2017. Congress must act now to keep families together. Each day without a vote to protect dreamers is a day closer to their deportations. We urge Congress to prioritize dreamers immediately and pass a clean Dream Act that offers a permanent, legislative solution with a pathway to citizenship for dreamers.
CWS urges everyone to call their Members of Congress and explain that further delays are unacceptable, and they must pass a clean Dream Act now: http://p2a.co/h9D09nz.
Since 1946, Church World Service has supported refugees, immigrants and other displaced individuals, in addition to providing sustainable relief and development solutions to communities that wrestle with hunger and poverty. Learn more about our work and join our global homebase for refugee solidarity at GreaterAs1.org.
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