DACA News and Actions

DID YOU KNOW?

••    DACA stands for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. The program offers some legal status to young people who were brought to the United States as children without proper documentation, allowing them to work and attend school without fear of deportation. It does not offer a path to citizenship or make them eligible for federal scholarships or other funding. For recipients of DACA—often called Dreamers—the United States is the only home they have ever really known, but their status is in limbo since the Trump Administration is continuing efforts to shut down the program. The only permanent solution is legislative action from Congress.
•    Nearly 700,000 individuals are DACA recipients, and nearly 1.5 million people live in households with a DACA recipient—including more than 250,000 U.S. citizen children of Dreamers.
•    DACA youth alone contribute approximately 42 billion dollars to GDP, annually.
•    There are approximately 62,600 DACA-eligible heath care workers and over 280,000 undocumented health care workers. Even before Covid-19, the American Medical Association said that “the loss of DACA health care workers would be devastating to the health care system.” 
•    More than 200,000 DACA immigrants work in a variety of essential services, and their contributions are vital to keeping America safe, healthy, and stable. 

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

•    Urge your Senators to pass the Dream Act of 2019
•    Donate funds marked for undocumented immigrants or DACA recipients and their families to your parish or local schools
•    Share legal resources from trusted sources like CLINIC (the Catholic Legal Immigration Network)
•    Thank the essential workers in your community!
•    Stay up to date on actions affecting Dreamers through sources such as the USCCB’s Justice for Immigrants
 

FOR REFLECTION

We invite you to listen to this conversation between Sister Linda Stilling and Heyssel, a student at NDMU and a Dreamer. Heyssel shares her story with us to encourage U.S. citizens to speak up on behalf of Dreamers. (Note: The bill referenced in the video, HR 6, has passed the House! Join us now in urging our Senators to take up S.874 and vote "yes" to protect our Dreamers!)

PRAY WITH US

God of All,
Throughout the ages, you have revealed yourself in visions and dreams. 
Today, may we have the grace to recognize you in our Dreamers. 

Give us the courage, conviction, and wisdom to welcome, support, and learn from these young people, and may we be ever grateful for the gift of their presence and inspired by the hope of their dreams.

In the name of the Blessed Trinity, in whom we are all connected, we pray. Amen.

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