December 7, 2022
The midterm elections have concluded and the new Congress is settled. But the current Congress in still in session. Legislation not completed by January 3rd will have to be re-worked from scratch. Dreamers cannot wait for a permanent status and asylum-seekers cannot wait for entry.
Thankfully, here in DC, immigration bills are actively being negotiated right now. We want members of Congress to know that we care about these issues. We want to see legislation for Dreamers and asylum seekers passed immediately.
Learn more about the negotiations in the news:
- Article by the Washington Post
- Article by the Virginia Mercury
- Article by USA Today
Send a letter to your congressional representatives using the webform below:
Dear Representative/Senator,
As a person of faith, I ask you to promote the full integration of Dreamers and terminate Title 42 expulsions at the U.S.-Mexico border before the end of the 117th Congress. I am so grateful that there is an effort to provide a path for dreamers. But I am dismayed that it is currently tied to extending Title 42. I urge you to find a way to serve the needs of dreamers without extending Title 42.
Dreamers are among those living on the existential peripheries of our society, but the common good requires that they be embraced, not least of all because of their daily contributions. I am especially concerned about those currently protected by DACA because of ongoing litigation and its consequences for them. DACA has always been essentially a temporary protection. Dreamers deserve a permanent status.
Title 42 is an outdated, misused, and harmful health policy that should be ended as soon as possible. Title 42 expulsions prevent migrants from accessing their legal right to seek asylum and therefore violate our nation’s responsibility to protect people fleeing persecution and oppression. Public health officials testified even at the height of the pandemic that the policy was ineffective at stopping the spread of COVID-19.
I believe that all people are created in the image and likeness of God, including our migrant brothers and sisters. As the Congress comes to an end, we face an opportunity to right serious wrongs against migrants. We do not want to see this opportunity go to waste. As Pope Francis reminds us, "We cannot leave to future generations the burden of responsibility for decisions that need to be made now."
Please support efforts to both end Title 42 and support Dreamers.
Sincerely,