Thank you to the hundreds of readers who called their lawmakers this past Monday for National Catholic Call-In Day, aimed at urging lawmakers to take action to protect Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and “Dreamers” – children who were brought to the United States by their parents and are not U.S. citizens.
Last week, the California Catholic Conference of Bishops (CCC) released a statement asking the 12 million Catholics throughout the state to participate in the call-in by asking elected officials to “demonstrate good sense and a sound conscience by standing in solidarity with the Dreamers.”
Actions in support of Dreamers took many forms. For instance, while many throughout the state were busy making calls to their legislators, a Catholic-led demonstration in Washington, D.C. resulted in the civil disobedience arrest of 100.
Congress has yet to come to a resolution on the issue but a Supreme Court ruling this week ensured that the DACA program will continue at least until the fall, giving a temporary reprieve for the 1.8 million Dreamers who feared deportation and Congress a window of time to find a permanent solution.
The USCCB released a statement earlier this week explaining, “Monday’s Supreme Court decision does not reduce the urgency of finding an immediate legislative solution for Dreamers…. The anxiety and uncertainty that Dreamers and their families face remain unabated.”
It is critical that Congress continues to hear your voice on this issue. You can still phone your legislator. Find the phone number for your Congressmember here, or send an email if you are unable to call.
Check back with the CCC at www.cacatholic.org for the latest developments.