Washington, DC – The Interfaith Immigration Coalition welcomes the House Judiciary Committee markup of HR 2820 (Dream Act), HR 2821 (American Promise Act), and HR 549 (Venezuela TPS Act), scheduled for Wednesday, May 22, 2019.
“We welcome House action on these vital immigration bills. For the millions of dreamers and TPS and DED holders who have lived here for more than a decade, the United States is home. These bills simply recognize that fact. Given the existential threat that the Trump administration poses to all immigrants, Congress must act to ensure that our immigrant neighbors are not separated from their families and communities by this White House,” said Katie Adams, Policy Advocate for Domestic Issues, United Church of Christ, and co-chair of the Interfaith Immigration Coalition.
“Passing legislation in support of dreamers and immigrants with TPS and DED would be a positive development that moves our country forward,” said Faith Williams, Senior Manager of Government Relations, National Council of Jewish Women, co-chair of the Interfaith Immigration Coalition. “There should be bipartisan support for these measures in Congress. On Wednesday, the nation will see if Republicans are finally willing to work with Democrats on constructive solutions, or if they will once again derail the process by offering ‘poison pill’ amendments. Now is the time for leadership from both political parties.”
“Every dreamer and TPS and DED holder is a child of God and vital to the fabric of our nation. We also recognize that while these bills are an important step forward, this legislation also falls short of our vision for a truly inclusive immigration system,” said Rev. John L. McCullough, President and CEO of Church World Service. “As people of faith, we remain deeply concerned about provisions that undermine criminal justice reform and expand the criminalization and racial profiling of immigrant community members. Immigration policies that automatically lock people out of status based on prior convictions or run-ins with the law undermine true justice and family unity. To unilaterally deny someone a second chance is to deny the transformational power of God.”
The Interfaith Immigration Coalition is a coalition of 52 national, faith-based organizations that comes together across theological traditions to advocates for just policies that lift up the God-given dignity of every individual. The IIC’s 2019 policy priorities include a pathway to citizenship for all Dreamers and TPS/DED recipients:
We stand in solidarity with the more than 1 million people who have lost protection from deportation. Undocumented young adults, many of whom are recipients of Deferred Action of Childhood Arrivals (DACA), and recipients of Temporary Protected Status or Deferred Enforced Departure are part of the fabric of our communities. We urge Congress to provide legislative protection and a pathway to citizenship for these individuals.
The Interfaith Immigration Coalition is made up of 52 national, faith-based organizations brought together across many theological traditions with a common call to seek just policies that lift up the God-given dignity of every individual. In partnership, we work to protect the rights, dignity, and safety of all refugees and migrants.
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