WASHINGTON—Late last week, the Senate failed to achieve the 60 votes needed to move forward with debate on legislation to provide relief to Dreamers. Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' president, Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles, USCCB vice president, and Bishop Joe S. Vásquez of Austin, chairman of the USCCB Committee on Migration, together issued the following statement:
"We are deeply disappointed that the Senate was not able to come together in a bipartisan manner to secure legislative protection for the Dreamers. With the March 5 deadline looming, we ask once again that Members of Congress show the leadership necessary to find a just and humane solution for these young people, who daily face mounting anxiety and uncertainty.
"We are also announcing a National Catholic Call-In Day to Protect Dreamers. This coming weekend, we will be asking the faithful across the nation to call their Members of Congress on Monday, Feb. 26, to protect Dreamers from deportation, to provide them a path to citizenship, and to avoid any damage to existing protections for families and unaccompanied minors in the process.
"Our faith compels us to stand with the vulnerable, including our immigrant brothers and sisters. We have done so continually, but we must show our support and solidarity now in a special way. Now is the time for action."
Your advocacy is critical to help the nearly 1.8 million Dreamers, young people who were brought into the United States by their parents as children. They may face deportation as soon as March 6, unless Congress reaches a bipartisan deal to protect them.
Please follow these easy steps:
1. Please call 855-589-5698 to reach the Capitol switchboard and press 1 to connect to your Senator. Once you are connected to the Senator's office, please ask the person on the phone to deliver this simple message to your legislator:
"I urge you to support a bipartisan, common sense and humane solution for Dreamers. Protect Dreamers from deportation and provide them with a path to citizenship. Reject proposals that undermine family immigration or protections for unaccompanied children. As a Catholic, I know that families are not 'chains,' but a blessing to be protected. Act now to protect Dreamers, our immigrant brothers and sisters."
2. Next, please call 855-589-5698 to reach the Capitol switchboard one more time and press 2 to connect to your Representative. Once you are connected to the Representative's offices, please ask the person on the phone to deliver this simple message to your legislator:
"I urge you to support a bipartisan, common sense and humane solution for Dreamers. Protect Dreamers from deportation and provide them with a path to citizenship. Reject proposals that undermine family immigration or protections for unaccompanied children. As a Catholic, I know that families are not 'chains,' but a blessing to be protected. Act now to protect Dreamers, our immigrant brothers and sisters."