By Lucas Sharma, SJ
The Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States has recently called for the support of the Dream Act of 2017. This bill was recently introduced into both the Senate and the House of Representatives. The goal of the bill is to protect young immigrants, many who came to the United States as minors. As they grew up in the United States, deporting these persons would send them back to a country they do not know. This includes an “estimated 780,000 individuals who received temporary relief from deportation and employment eligibility through the Department of Homeland Security's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.”
On behalf of more than 215,000 students and 2 million living alumni, Presidents of Jesuit Colleges and Universities across the AJCU issued a statement calling for the retention of DACA last November. Due to student confidentiality, it is hard to say how many of these students qualify for DACA and how many more are undocumented. That being said, AJCU Presidents recognize that sending these students back to their countries of origin would be harmful to their lives and their educational future.
The Jesuit Conference is requesting that people across the nation write to Senators and Representatives to urge they co-sponsor the Dream Act of 2017. This call is also supported by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Click here to write to US Senators and Representatives now.
Conversations Magazine asks, how can Jesuit Colleges and Universities be sanctuaries of truth and justice, both for individual persons, and for Catholic Social Teaching?
The Cover Image is courtesy of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States.