WASHINGTON—On Jan 9th,
congressional members met at the White House with President Trump to discuss
immigration reform. In response to this important bipartisan meeting, Bishop
Joe S. Vásquez of Austin, Texas, Chairman of the Committee on Migration
(USCCB/COM), issued the following statement:

“We are encouraged by the consensus that
emerged from yesterday’s White House meeting that Congress and the President
should move expeditiously to craft and enact legislation that would provide
urgently needed relief for Dreamers. For years, these young people have been
living in and enriching the United States in many ways. They
are contributors to our economy, veterans of our military, academic standouts
in our universities, and leaders in our parishes and communities. They and
their families deserve certainty, compassion, generosity, and justice.

We also are pleased to see the mutual understanding that
ensuring protection for these young people should be the first step in the
systematic reform of our outdated immigration laws. We believe in measures that
improve the security of our nation. Our teaching acknowledges and respects the
right of sovereign nations to control their borders. Such measures should be
financially sound, effective, and should not harm the vulnerable. However, we
caution against introducing unrelated, unnecessary, or controversial elements
of immigration policy—especially those that jeopardize the sanctity of families
or unaccompanied children—into the bipartisan search for a just and humane
solution for the Dreamers.

As a nation, we have a moral and humanitarian
obligation to Dreamers. These young people have steadfastly worked to improve
themselves and our country and attempted in good faith to comply with the law
as it stood. Their futures hang in the balance. We stand ready to work with the
President and with Congress in the coming days to help fashion a just solution
that meets their needs, ensures our nation’s safety and security, and sets the
stage for the larger debate on immigration reform that is so urgently and
desperately needed.”

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Keywords: U.S. Conference of Catholic
Bishops; USCCB; United States Congress; Homeland Security; Cardinal Daniel N.
DiNardo; Bishop Joe S. Vasquez; Committee on Migration; Deferred Action for
Childhood Arrivals; DACA; Dreamers; legal status; youth; deportation;
immigration; border security; legislative solution.

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Media Contact:
Judy Keane
202-541-3200

Source:: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops