Press Release

 

 

For Immediate Release
Contact: Dan Gordon , 617-651-0841
July 21, 2021

** **

**Local Faith, Business, Law Enforcement and Other Leaders Respond to
DACA Decision **

Following U.S. District Court Judge Andrew Hanen's decision Friday
that Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is unlawful and
suspended new applications, local leaders from Florida to California are
urging Congress to protect Dreamers.

The following is a sample of quotes from local leaders, and the full
list is online
.
For additional context on the decision, please see Friday's Forum
statement
and explainer
.

**Eric Costanzo, Pastor at South Tulsa Baptist Church, Oklahoma:**"I'm
privileged to know many Dreamers in and around our church community in
Tulsa. Many make substantial contributions to Oklahoma in fields like
health care, education, and industry. Why do our elected officials
continue allowing these young people to languish in a cruel legal limbo?
It's long past time to find a permanent solution for Dreamers with a
path to citizenship here in the only country they've known. I pray our
elected officials will lead the way in protection the Dreamers - they
are our children."        

**Father David Esquiliano, Judicial Vicar of Catholic Diocese of Sioux
City and Rector of the Cathedral of the Epiphany, Iowa:**"Dreamers are
people who were brought to this country at an earlier age, without their
consent, and many without the capacity to understand what was happening
to them. They have spent most of their lives in this country, they have
grown up in this country, they have offered their talents in benefit of
this country. They did it not knowing if they would ever be able to
personally benefit from their contributions. They should not be held
responsible for the actions of others, but be rewarded for their love
and dedication to the United States."

**                      **

**Jesse Rincones, Executive Director, Convención Bautista Hispana de
Texas (Hispanic Baptist Convention of Texas):**             
"Once again tens of thousands of Dreamers are left in precarious
positions. A permanent legislative solution for Dreamers will provide
stability not only to the Dreamers themselves, but also to family
members, friends, colleagues, and employers who depend on them. Justice
- and the majority of Americans - demand that Congress and the
administration act to provide a permanent solution for these young
leaders who have contributed greatly to this country."

**Police Chief Orlando Rolón, Orlando, Florida; Law Enforcement
Immigration Task Force Co-chair:**"For children who entered this country
unlawfully, America is the only home they've ever known. Many of these
children have grown up in our neighborhoods and have become contributing
members of our society. As a nation we have a moral obligation to
protect deserving individuals who have earned the opportunity to remain
in this country. Congress has a duty to quickly act to find bipartisan
permanent solutions that protect our nation from injustices of the past,
present, and future. Dreamers deserve this from our congressional
leaders."

**Montserrat Santos, DACA recipient and student at the University of
California, Merced:**"I am currently a first-year graduate student in
the quantitative and systems biology doctoral program at the University
of California Merced. Hearing about the recent ruling in Texas regarding
DACA has been very disappointing news because DACA has allowed me to
pursue my dreams. Without DACA I would have not been able to get a
bachelor's degree, pursue cancer research at the University of Nebraska
Medical center through the IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research
Excellence Program, and certainly not a Ph.D. in molecular/cell biology.
I want to contribute to the science and medicine world with my research
and I know there are more undocumented students like me, who want to
contribute to the betterment of society. By not allowing new DACA
applicants, they are tearing the dreams of young people and
opportunities for this nation. This ruling also leaves the futures of
current DACA recipients pending because we all are unsure of what might
come next. I greatly hope that this unjust and cruel ruling gets
overturned because no one deserves to have their dream crushed due to
their legal status."

**Chuck Spong, Executive Director, Love Out Loud, Winston-Salem, North
Carolina:**"Legislative action on DACA is long overdue, with broad,
significant bipartisan support throughout our communities and our
nation. Dreamers have been remarkable members of our communities since
childhood and have been contributing to the betterment of our
communities in numerous ways even as they live in a constant state of
uncertainty. As the recent judicial ruling illustrates, we need clear
and concrete policy at the federal level now."

**Cameron Ventura, Executive Customer Relations Manager, Amazon, Myrtle
Beach, South Carolina:**"Congress' inaction over the past twelve years
has culminated in this very moment in which the fate of hundreds of
thousands of our neighbors, who have proven their responsibility and
value to our communities, hangs precariously. Congress must act today
for the good of our nation and the good of our local neighborhoods."

###

 

 

**Follow Us**

 

[link removed]
[link removed]
[link removed]
[link removed]

 

 

 

The

**Only in America** podcast brings you to the people behind our
nation's immigration debate.

 

Listen now on:

 

**iTunes**
,
**Stitcher**
,
**Spotify** ,
and **more.**

 

 

National Immigration Forum

10 G Street NE, Suite 500

Washington, DC 20002

www.immigrationforum.org

 

Unsubscribe from Press Releases oropt-out from all
Forum emails.

 

                                               
           
_________________

Sent to [email protected]

Unsubscribe:
[link removed]

National Immigration Forum, 10 G St NE, Suite 500, Washington, D.C. 20002, United States