Sept. 10, 2017
To the Editor:
We the members of the Interfaith Council of Western MA, add our voices of concern and protest to those expressed nationwide last week regarding President Trump’s cruel and inhumane decision to end the DACA program (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals).
Representing diverse communities of faith, we are united by our shared teachings and values that urge us all to protect the poor, and the stranger, and the most vulnerable in our midst. These include, in our time, immigrants and refugees, and most especially among them, 800,000 undocumented young people brought to this country as innocent children under the age of 6, by parents and families seeking, as generations of refugees have done, safety, opportunity, and a better life.
Our shared teachings and values urge us to cry out now and always for the dignity of every human being, including in our day, these Dreamers, who we know to be children of God, who deserve a chance to live their lives without the constant fear of losing their job, their place in school or in the military. Most horrifically, they now face separation from their family and community and deportation to another country they have never been to or know little about.
At this crucial time in our history and over the next 6 months, we urge Congress to pass bipartisan legislation, the Dream Act of 2017, that allows these young people who grew up in the US and who want to continue to contribute their talents and their gifts, to this the only country they have really known. We urge elected officials to once and for all enact a consistent national immigration policy that not only helps our citizens live free from harm, but also promotes our highest, most compassionate moral vision.
The Interfaith Council of Western MA
