Statement of His
Eminence Roger Cardinal Mahony
Archbishop Emeritus of
Los Angeles, CA
On
The Elimination of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) Program
The announcement on September 5, 2017 by President
Donald Trump that he will end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)
program is deeply troubling. Not only
has the president revoked a promise to 800,000 young persons who wish to live
the American dream, he has also harmed our nation.
These young persons are hard-working
and talented, who through no fault of their own were brought to our nation at a
young age. For many, this is the only
country they have ever known. They are
industrious, intelligent, and highly-skilled and want nothing more than to
contribute
their immense energy and ideas to our great nation.
Instead, the Trump administration has
placed them in jeopardy, betraying their promise as human beings and our values
as Americans. The president has rejected
our future leaders, to our nation’s detriment.
Now they will be faced with possible
deportation to nations they do not know and possible statelessness. Many have brothers and sisters who were born
here, and those bonds will now be broken with their separation. Their vast potential and their hard work and
sacrifice in our country will be wasted.
This issue is not about economics,
the rule of law, the separation of powers, or fairness to US citizens. It is a moral issue, and the ending of this
program is an incredible blow to the ethical underpinnings of our country, a
blow to our values given us by Jesus Christ, and a blow to basic human
sensibilities.
I urge Congress to swiftly pass the
bi-partisan DREAM Act, recently introduced in the US Senate and the US House of
Representatives, which would give Dreamers permanent residency and a path to
citizenship. For the sake of our
nation, which was founded and built by immigrants, and for these amazing young
persons, we cannot let this decision stand.
This is a special moment for
Democrats and Republicans to demonstrate that they can be our country’s
leaders. Come together, hammer out an
agreement favorable for our Dreamer young people!
