Loretto Community Statement on U.S. Supreme Court DACA Decision and the Urgent Need for Reform of U.S. Immigration and Asylum Laws

Members of the Loretto Community rejoice in yesterday’s (June 18, 2020) DACA decision from the U.S. Supreme Court because it removes the immediate threat of deportation for 700,000 of our neighbors and friends. We are grateful that the Court’s majority upheld the rule of law, which requires the government to provide a contemporaneous and reasonable basis for executive branch actions. In its effort to end DACA, the Trump Administration simply issued an edict rescinding it without reasonable explanation. Acting without explanation is “arbitrary and capricious” in violation of the federal Administrative Procedures Act, and for this reason, the Court nullified the Administration’s order seeking to end DACA.

The Dreamers are safe for now.  However, without enactment of federal legislation providing permanent legal status with a path to citizenship, the threat of deportation remains for Dreamers and the other 10.5 million to 12 million undocumented U.S. residents.

U.S. residents who lack documentation make up 3.2 to 3.6 percent of the U.S. population.  They are the backbone of our economy and our communities.  They contribute significantly more in taxes than they consume in benefits and are far less likely to violate laws than native-born U.S. citizens. They are the people we need most and can least afford to lose.

 Loretto renews its call to our U.S. Senators and Representatives to pass comprehensive immigration reform legislation that provides permanent legal status to the Dreamers and all undocumented residents, with a path to U.S. citizenship.  This was done during President Ronald Reagan’s presidency, with strong bipartisan support, and it must be done again now. We will not rest until Congress acts.  It is the right thing to do, it is the smart thing to do, and it is what we and all who follow the teachings of Jesus are called to do.

#Faith4DACA #homeishere