Recent court cases have placed the future of young immigrants, known as Dreamers, in limbo. On Oct. 27, FCNL’s Anika Forrest and experts from the Interfaith Immigration Coalition hosted a webinar to share more about the status of this vital program and next steps for advocacy.
“It’s hard to see congressional inaction to protect Dreamers, DACA recipients, and undocumented immigrants as anything, but a willful choice,” Forrest said. “However, we know that political challenges, cruelty, fear, and chaos are not indestructible barriers. And we don’t stop there. We know that we cannot accept anything less than full, equitable protections for our undocumented community members.”
Watch the Recording
Featured Speakers
- Kendal McBroom, Director of Civil and Human Rights - General Board of Church and Society, United Methodist Church
- Josh Stehlik, Deputy Legal Director - National Immigration Law Center
- Boonyarit Daraphant, an undocumented artist and entrepreneur from Thailand
- Anika Forrest, Legislative Manager, Migration Policy - Friends Committee on National Legislation
- Giovana Oaxaca, Program Director for Migration Policy - Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Background
This month, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), a program that protects thousands of young immigrants from deportation, is unlawful. The case was returned to a lower court for further consideration.
On October 14, Judge Andrew Hanen announced that he would extend a block on new and first-time DACA applications from being processed. However, existing DACA recipients are still able to renew their status.
These court decisions deeply impact the lives of thousands of immigrant youth. And as people of faith and conscience, it is our responsibility to fight for the permanent protections that all immigrants deserve.