9/21 Letter: Pass Recognizing America’s Children Act to protect dreamers

On Sept. 5 the Trump Administration announced that it would end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. DACA grants work permits and temporary deportation relief to approximately 800,000 young people, commonly known as Dreamers. Most of the people protected by DACA were brought to the United States as children and are Americans in every sense but citizenship status.

Many in Congress disagree with DACA because of the nature in which it was implemented. I understand that argument but believe now is not the time to quibble over political differences. The lives of 800,000 young people are at stake, and President Trump has asked Congress to take up the issue immediately. Congress should take the president’s advice and act immediately to put the protections of DACA into law.

Thankfully, Congress is already acting. North Carolina’s own Sen. Thom Tillis announced the Recognizing America’s Children (RAC) Act, which would allow dreamers to remain in the United States and earn legal status if they work, attend school or serve in the military. Unlike DACA, which was an executive order that could be ended at any time, the RAC Act is a permanent legislative solution that fulfills Congress’ responsibility of creating immigration policy. I applaud Tillis’ common sense work on immigration and hope his Senate colleagues support this legislation.

Politics aside, immigration is first about people. Dreamers are our neighbors, colleagues and fellow church parishioners. They have families who count on them. If Congress does not act on their behalf, Dreamers face the threat of deportation to countries they barely know. In addition, Dreamers are a big part of our nation’s economy, and if Congress does not pass the RAC Act or similar legislation, it would do tremendous harm to American workers. Thousands of Dreamers have started their own businesses that employ native-born American citizens. If Dreamers do not have work permits, those businesses will close, sending American employees to the unemployment rolls.

After years of squabbling over DACA’s constitutionality, Congress has been given the opportunity to act on behalf of Dreamers. President Trump has signaled his support for Dreamers, and voters agree; polling shows that 78 percent of registered voters and 73 percent of Trump voters believe that Dreamers should be allowed to stay in the United States. The RAC Act provides a fair and cautious path forward for these immigrants and could very well get the ball rolling on the kind of comprehensive immigration reform that is sorely needed.

This story was originally published September 20, 2017 at 6:00 PM with the headline "9/21 Letter: Pass Recognizing America’s Children Act to protect dreamers."