Diverse faith leaders call for clean DREAM Act before March 5th Phase Out
NEW YORK, NY– On Tuesday, February 27th, the New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC) and religious leaders from across New York City congregated for an interfaith press conference as part of a National Day of Action calling on Congress to pass a clean DREAM Act before Trump’s stated March 5th deadline. The Reverend Chloe Breyer from the Interfaith Center of New York began the conference with a non-denominational prayer.
“Our leaders in Washington are flailing around, leaving 800,000 immigrant youth in limbo. As we near the March 5th deadline, Congress must get its act together, do its job and muster the political will to secure justice for DREAMers. All of our communities will be watching,” said Steven Choi, Executive Director at the New York Immigration Coalition.
“Watching Congress debate the DREAM Act time-after-time is anxiety inducing for DACA recipients like myself. DACA recipients no longer want to be used as pawns in Washington’s dirty political game to score cheap points in exchange for ‘The Wall’ or to further criminalize our community. Every day, hundreds of DACA recipients are losing their work permits and risking deportation. We don’t just want your ‘thoughts and prayers’; we want Washington to act,” said Francis Madi, Manager of Advocacy at the New York Immigration Coalition.
“We are glad that the recent Supreme Court ruling prevents the Trump Administration from circumventing laws that would protect DACA recipients. However, the decision does nothing to reduce the urgency for Congress to protect the almost 700,000 DACA recipients– 42,000 in New York– who are our brothers and sisters, neighbors, friends, schoolmates, colleagues and fellow Americans. The Interfaith Center of New York calls on our congressional representatives to act now– protecting family reunification and rejecting nay-sayers on both sides of the aisle and in the White House. Now is the time enshrine into law the rights of DREAMers whose struggles, aspirations, and community concerns reflect what is best about our country,” said The Rev. Chloe Breyer, Executive Director at The Interfaith Center of New York.
“Since 2001, Congress has failed to pass the DREAM Act, shirking its moral responsibility to young undocumented immigrants living under threat of deportation, turning their dreams into nightmares. We admire the grit and determination of the many vulnerable DREAMers who are calling out Congressional leaders for failing to act and demanding passage of the DREAM Act, including a path to citizenship. The NYS Interfaith Network for Immigration Reform’s religiously diverse leaders and organizations, along with many other faith community leaders and organizations and immigrant advocacy organizations like the NYIC, have been engaged in the battle for many years. With DACA set to expire on March 5th, we are here to say that failure is not an option– now is the time for Congress to pass the DREAM Act,” said Dr. Diane Steinman, Director of the New York State Interfaith Network for Immigration Reform.
“It is our calling and duty as Christians to protect the weak, to save lives, and to welcome strangers. Also, the Christian mission is to build a bridge not a wall. We must welcome everyone to our Churches and communities regardless of their status– documented or undocumented– because we are all children of God, our father. We firmly stand with the DACA recipients and will work together continuously and tirelessly until Congress passes the DREAM Act,” said Pastor Daniel Cho, Korean-American Sanctuary Church.
“As people of faith, we support the DREAM Act as a faithful response to all of our traditions ethical demands: to see the ultimate worth every human being, regardless of immigration status; that all are equal children of God, deserving of dignity, respect and their full human rights; that education as a sacred duty, a moral responsibility of one generation to the next, a covenant to be upheld and honored. DREAMers are our congregants, our children, our neighbors– fully equal to ourselves in the eyes of God. For these faith-rooted reasons, from our varied religious traditions, we urge the prompt enactment of the DREAM Act into law, said Rabbi Michael Feinberg, Executive Director of the Greater New York Labor-Religion Coalition.
“‘The children are our future’ is an adage that we all believe, however, some of our children are not being given a fighting chance to have a future. A future that will allow them to be great men and women in this nation. It is our moral duty as Clergy and decent citizens to stand up for justice and to fight and support those that are under-served. Immigrants are a part of the economic backbone of the United States and based on our contributions we have a right to partake in the victories and/or anything that makes us victorious and acceptable.
Yes. our children are our future! I urge Congress to give them not only a future but one that is meaningful. You have the power, use it and make it count by passing the Dream Act to ensure their future,” said Reverend Patricia Malcom, Interim President of Churches United To Save And Heal.
“Along with our interfaith justice allies, we call for a clean DREAM Act and an end to the Trump administration’s war on immigrants. For DACA recipients – DREAMers – the fear of not knowing what their future holds has made Trump’s America a living nightmare. As an American, I believe that these cruel policies go against the founding principles of this nation – namely that all people are created equal and deserve justice. As a Hindu, I denounce these policies because my deepest faith is that we are all one, and that “Atithi Devo Bhava” (or the person who has come from afar is to be treated the same way that we treat our mothers, fathers and teachers). As a mother of three immigrant boys, I am outraged because DACA recipients are young and industrious men and women who deserve every opportunity in life. It is crucial that we keep up the fight so that our DREAMers are allowed to dream real dreams,” said Sunita Viswanath, Board Member of Sadhana: Coalition of Progressive Hindus.
“The Buddhist Council of New York stands firm with the DREAMers and with all of those seeking a better life. Our community is significantly an immigrant community. Buddhist faith and practice requires us to respect the sanctity and preciousness of all life; and we are under no illusions and understand the horrors that would await the DREAMers if they are prematurely sent to their countries of origin. Therefore the Buddhist Council of New York with peace and compassion as our guides is committed to ensuring that DREAMers get to dream and that our nation’s oft stated ideals of opportunity, diversity and inclusion never die. Palms Together,” said James Lynch, of The Buddhist Council of New York.
“In these days when our administration is regularly insulting and demeaning immigrant America, my community and I are proud to join religious voices from many traditions in demanding a DREAM Act and justice for DACA recipients. Throughout Jewish history, we have experienced similar demonization, and we know too well what the devastating consequences can be. We refuse to be silent as our neighbors, friends, and colleagues are attacked and threatened with deportation. I am proud to work for justice with all who refuse to accept this as normal, who refuse to look the other way, who refuse to become inured to the outrage. Thousands of years ago, our ancestors asked Pharaoh to let our people go, to leave Egypt and seek freedom. Today, we tell the modern Pharaohs to let our people stay,” said Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum, Congregation Beit Simchat Torah.
“The Micah Institute’s religiously diverse leaders are moved by the moral obligation to “act justly and love mercy” and call on Congress to pass the DREAM Act now. In a nation devoted to liberty and justice for all, 17 years after the DREAM Act was first introduced is far too long a wait. DREAMers must be granted the right by Congress to become citizens of the only country most of them have ever known. Most young undocumented immigrants were brought here as children: they attend our schools; work and pay taxes; worship with us in our churches, synagogues, mosques and temples; and contribute to the vitality of a city and nation they call home, often serving as role models of courageous activism in the cause of justice and mercy in our democracy. They deserve a place in our hearts and a seat at our table,” said Rev. Luis-Alfredo Cartagena Zayas, Co-Chair of the Immigration Committee at the Micah Institute.
“The NYU Muslim Students Association stands in full support of a DREAM Act. Not only that, but we believe that the full citizenship should be extended to all undocumented immigrants in this country. It is incumbent upon us all to stand up for the rights of all undocumented individuals that fear for their lives and their ability to stay with their loved ones. Here in New York City, we live on Lenape land and we must respect and honor the rights of those who have come before us and those who will live on after us. We urge all of our elected officials to stand in unequivocal support of not only DREAMers, but of all undocumented immigrants in this country,” said RJ Khalaf, President of the NYU Muslim Students Association.
Background
Six months ago, President Trump rescinded the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), and designated March 5th, 2018 to begin phasing out the program. Since then more than 15,000 individuals have lost their DACA status at a rate of 122 people per day.
In the last six months, the Trump administration and congressional Republican leaders attempted to increase border protections (including “the Wall”) and repeal other immigration programs as a condition of passing the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act. The DREAM Act would serve as a long term solution for those who currently qualify for DACA, including the 42,000 DACA recipients in New York whose status is at risk.
Over fifty percent of DACA recipients under the age of 25 are on track to receive a bachelor’s degree, and in total, over ninety percent of DACA recipients are employed. In the next 10 years, the country stands to lose $460.3 billion in GDP if DACA is ended without a legislative solution. In New York alone, there are 115,000 Dream Act-eligible individuals in the workforce who would add a projected $1.75 billion to the state GDP annually over ten years.
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The New York Immigration Coalition is an umbrella policy and advocacy organization for nearly 200 groups in New York State that work with immigrants and refugees.The NYIC aims to achieve a fairer and more just society that values the contributions of immigrants and extends opportunity to all by promoting immigrants’ full civic participation, fostering their leadership, and providing a unified voice and a vehicle for collective action for New York’s diverse immigrant communities.
