U.S. BISHOPS CALL ON CONGRESS TO PROTECT DREAMERS BY PASSING USA ACT
April 25, 2018  |  By:   |  Archbishop Gomez, Press Releases  |  

–Archbishop Gomez calls USA Act ‘a good-faith compromise on both sides… It is time for those standing in the way of a solution to stand down’–

(Los Angeles, Calif.) Archbishop José H. Gomez today echoed the call of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) for Congress to pass the “Uniting and Securing America” (USA) Act of 2017 (H.R. 4796) to protect young people known as “Dreamers” from deportation. USCCB Migration Committee Chair Bishop Joe S. Vásquez of Austin, TX, today announced the bishops’ support of the compromise legislation to replace the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program which was ended by President Donald Trump on March 5.
The USA Act is a bipartisan bill, introduced by Representatives Will Hurd (R-TX), Pete Aguilar (D-CA) and Jeff Denham (R-CA), that would provide qualifying Dreamers with protection from deportation, as well as a path to citizenship. Additionally, the USA Act of 2017 would augment border security at the U.S./Mexico border, in part through deployment of new technology; increase the number of immigration judges and Board of Immigration Appeals staff attorneys; and seek to address root causes and prevent future irregular migration as a condition of aid to Central America.

“We are hopeful our support of the current version of the USA Act, and our continued support of the Dream Act, will encourage Congress to act now and find a humane legislative solution for Dreamers,” noted Bishop Vásquez.

In his weekly column in the Archdiocese’s news magazine, Angelus, Archbishop Gomez reiterated the USCCB announcement, “I am urging the Speaker and the Majority Leader of the House of Representatives to allow debate on this critical issue. For several years now, immigration reform has been blocked in the House by a small group of lawmakers who are using their leverage to prevent any legislation from being brought up for a vote on the House floor. This situation is not fair and in fact it frustrates the will of the American people.

“This is not about Republicans or Democrats. It is about right and wrong. As I have been saying for years now, both parties are using this issue for their own political gain. Even now, we can see there are still some who seem content to sacrifice the Dreamers’ futures for the chance to mobilize voters in the next election. This is heartless and cruel. It is time to stop. People’s lives are in the balance.
“These young people did nothing wrong and yet they have spent their entire lives in a kind of legal limbo, with limited rights and opportunities and no certainty about their future. By any measure, these are the kind of young people that our country should be encouraging. Nearly everyone — 97 percent — is either in school or in the workforce. Many serve in our armed forces and law enforcement.”

The Archbishop emphasized that the USA Act “represents a good-faith compromise on both sides — trading assurances for the Dreamers in exchange for border-security improvements.”

“This is a victory for common sense and our common humanity. It is time for those standing in the way of a solution to stand down,” concluded the column.

The full text of Archbishop Gomez’s column in English and Spanish follows this release. For more information, including Bishop Vásquez’s letter to the House of Representatives in support of the USA Act, see https://justiceforimmigrants.org/what-we-are-working-on/immigration/daca-resource-page/.

**NOTE TO EDITORS: Spanish translation of press release is attached.**

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Time for DACA compromise — Pass the USA Act

By Archbishop José H. Gomez

The time has come for our leaders in Congress to do what is right and pass legislation that will provide a permanent solution for the nearly 2 million young people who were brought to this country as small children by undocumented parents or family members.

Far from Washington, on the other side of the country, the issue of these young people, known as Dreamers, is urgent.

More than one quarter of the Dreamers live in California and by most estimates there are about 125,000 living within the borders of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles — more than anywhere else in the country.

This week, my brother bishops and I are announcing our support for the “Uniting and Securing America (USA) Act of 2017” (H.R. 4796). This is one of four bills introduced to replace the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which protects the Dreamers from deportation and provides them permission to work. President Donald Trump ended the DACA program on March 5, although his decision has been challenged in the courts.

The USA Act is compromise legislation that has bipartisan support. It would strengthen security along America’s borders through the use of electronic and other technologies and improve U.S. efforts to assist the economies in Central American nations. These are important measures that my brother bishops and I have been advocating for years.

The USA Act would also permanently protect Dreamers from deportation and provide them a path to finally become citizens in our country.

I am urging the Speaker and the Majority Leader of the House of Representatives to allow debate on this critical issue.

For several years now, immigration reform has been blocked in the House by a small group of lawmakers who are using their leverage to prevent any legislation from being brought up for a vote on the House floor.

This situation is not fair and in fact it frustrates the will of the American people.

There is broad bipartisan support — in the country and in Congress — to resolve this issue. Opinion polls show that three-out-of-four Americans support granting these young people a permanent legal status.

In addition, state and local chambers of commerce and business leaders representing every sector of the economy have all urged Congress to help these people.

So, there is no reason for the House of Representatives, the people’s chamber, to continue to deny a vote on this issue.

This is not about Republicans or Democrats. It is about right and wrong.

As I have been saying for years now, both parties are using this issue for their own political gain. Even now, we can see there are still some who seem content to sacrifice the Dreamers’ futures for the chance to mobilize voters in the next election.

This is heartless and cruel. It is time to stop. People’s lives are in the balance.

These young people did nothing wrong and yet they have spent their entire lives in a kind of legal limbo, with limited rights and opportunities and no certainty about their future.

By any measure, these are the kind of young people that our country should be encouraging. Nearly everyone — 97 percent — is either in school or in the workforce. Many serve in our armed forces and law enforcement.

Our country is the only country these young people know — many are now in their 30s — and they are Americans in everything except for their legal status.

It is long past time for this country to do the right thing and welcome them to make their own contribution to the American dream.

My brother bishops and I would prefer a “clean” bill that would simply grant legal status and a path to citizenship for the Dreamers.

But this is no longer realistic. The longer these debates drag on, the greater the risk that Congress will do nothing before November’s mid-term elections. And it is unconscionable to allow another year to pass without finding a solution.

The USA Act represents a good-faith compromise on both sides — trading assurances for the Dreamers in exchange for border-security improvements.

We have at this moment a bipartisan way forward that will strengthen America’s borders, improve conditions in Central America that are root causes of illegal immigration, and will offer compassion to those who have come here seeking a better life.

This is a victory for common sense and our common humanity. It is time for those standing in the way of a solution to stand down.

Pray for me this week and I will be praying for you. And let us join together in praying for the leaders of our great country.

Let us ask our Blessed Mother Mary to intercede for us and guide our leaders to do what is right.

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ÉSTE ES EL MOMENTO PARA UN ACUERDO SOBRE DACA — APROBAR EL ACTA USA

Por Monseñor José H. Gomez
Arzobispo de Los Ángeles

Ha llegado el momento para que nuestros líderes en el Congreso hagan lo correcto y aprueben una legislación que proporcione una solución permanente para los casi 2 millones de jóvenes que fueron traídos a este país por padres o familiares indocumentados cuando eran niños pequeños.

Lejos de Washington, en el otro extremo del país, el asunto de estos jóvenes, conocidos como Dreamers o Soñadores, es urgente.

Más de una cuarta parte de los Soñadores vive en California y, según la mayoría de los cálculos, hay alrededor de 125,000 que viven dentro de las fronteras de la Arquidiócesis de Los Ángeles, más que en cualquier otra parte del país.

Esta semana, mis hermanos obispos y yo anunciamos nuestro apoyo al “Acta Uniendo y Asegurando a Estados Unidos de 2017” (H.R. 4796), una de las cuatro propuestas de ley para reemplazar el programa de Acción Diferida para los Llegados en la Infancia (DACA, por sus siglas en inglés), que protege a los Soñadores de la deportación y les proporciona el permiso para trabajar. El presidente Donald Trump le dio fin al programa DACA el 5 de marzo, aunque su decisión ha sido desafiada en los tribunales.

El Acta USA es una legislación de negociación que tiene un apoyo bipartidista. Esta ley fortalecería la seguridad a lo largo de las fronteras de Estados Unidos mediante el uso de electrónica y otras tecnologías, y mejoraría los esfuerzos de Estados Unidos por apoyar a las economías de las naciones centroamericanas. Estas son medidas importantes, que mis hermanos obispos y yo hemos estado abogando durante años.

El Acta USA también protegería permanentemente a los Soñadores de la deportación y les proporcionaría un camino para convertirse finalmente en ciudadanos de nuestro país.

Exhorto al Presidente y al Líder de la Mayoría de la Cámara de Representantes a que permitan el debate sobre este tema crítico.

Desde hace varios años, la reforma migratoria ha sido bloqueada en la Cámara de Representantes por un pequeño grupo de legisladores que están utilizando su influencia para evitar que cualquier legislación sea sometida a votación en la Cámara de Representantes.

Esta situación no es justa y, de hecho, frustra la voluntad del pueblo estadounidense.

Existe un amplio apoyo bipartidista para resolver este asunto, tanto en el país como en el Congreso. Las encuestas de opinión muestran que tres de cada cuatro estadounidenses apoyan el otorgarle a estos jóvenes un estatus legal permanente.

Además, las cámaras de comercio estatales y locales y los líderes empresariales que representan a todos los sectores de la economía han exigido que el Congreso ayude a estas personas.

Por lo tanto, no existe ninguna razón para que la Cámara de Representantes, la cámara del pueblo, continúe negando una votación sobre este asunto.

Esto no se trata de republicanos o demócratas. Se trata de lo que es correcto o incorrecto.

Como he estado diciendo durante años, ambos partidos están usando este asunto para su caudal político. Incluso ahora, podemos ver que todavía hay algunos que parecen estar satisfechos con sacrificar el futuro de los Soñadores por la posibilidad de influenciar a los votantes en las próximas elecciones.

Esto es algo descorazonado y cruel. Es tiempo de parar esto. La vida de personas está en juego.

Estos jóvenes no hicieron nada malo y sin embargo han pasado toda su vida en una especie de limbo legal, con derechos y oportunidades limitados y sin ninguna certeza sobre su futuro.

Por donde quiera que se mire, éste es el tipo de jóvenes que nuestro país debería estar animando. Casi todos, el 97 por ciento, están en la escuela o en la fuerza de trabajo. Muchos prestan sus servicios en nuestras fuerzas armadas y en las fuerzas del orden.

Nuestro país es el único país que estos jóvenes conocen, muchos ahora tienen más de 30 años, y son estadounidenses en todo, excepto en su estatus legal.

Ya es tiempo de que este país haga lo correcto y los acoja para que ellos hagan su propia contribución al sueño americano.

Mis hermanos obispos y yo preferiríamos un proyecto de ley “limpio” que simplemente le concediera a los Soñadores un estatus legal y un camino a la ciudadanía.

Pero esto ya no es algo realista. Mientras más se prolonguen estos debates, mayor será el riesgo de que el Congreso no haga nada antes de las elecciones de mitad de período de noviembre. Y es simplemente inadmisible permitir que pase otro año sin encontrar una solución.

El Acta USA representa un acuerdo de buena fe entre ambas partes, ofrece seguridad a los Soñadores a cambio de mejorar la seguridad fronteriza.

En este momento tenemos un camino bipartidista que fortalecerá las fronteras de los Estados Unidos, que mejorará las condiciones en Centroamérica, que son las causas fundamentales de la inmigración ilegal, y que ofrecerá compasión a aquellos que vinieron aquí en busca de una vida mejor.

Esta es una victoria para el sentido común y para nuestra lesa humanidad. Ya es tiempo de que aquellos que están impidiendo lograr una solución, dejen de hacerlo.

Oren por mí esta semana y yo estaré orando por ustedes. Y unámonos en oración por los líderes de nuestro gran país.

Pidámosle a nuestra Santísima Madre María que interceda por nosotros y que guíe a nuestros líderes para que hagan lo correcto.

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