The Supreme Court ruled that the Trump administration’s attempt to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program was unlawful. While we are very excited about this decision, Congress can and still must pass a permanent legislative solution to protect the more than 780,000 DACA recipients living in the U.S., including the 200 DACA recipients that St. Francis serves in the St. Louis area. In 2019, H.R. 6–a bill providing DACA recipients, Temporary Protected Status holders, and Deferred Enforced Departures holders with a pathway to citizenship–was passed in the House of Representatives. We now ask that you turn your attention toward our representative Senator Blunt and urge him to support the Dream and Promise Act of 2019, H.R. 6.
Contact Senator Blunt
Instructions
1) Prepare what you are going to say. There is a sample script below, but we encourage you to make the message your own.
2) Call Senator Blunt’s Office at (314)-725-4484.
3) Leave your message with a staff member or leave a voicemail if no one answers.
Sample Script
Hi, my name is [NAME], and I am a constituent of Senator Blunt. I am calling on him to urge Senator McConnell to bring the Dream and Promise Act, H.R. 6, to the Senate floor for a vote. Dreamers have woven themselves into the social and economic fabric of the United States. They are our family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers. I urge you to immediately prioritize passage of the Dream and Promise Act to allow Dreamers to continue fully participating in this country. Thank you.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is DACA?
Enacted in 2012, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program provides work authorization and temporary relief from deportation for undocumented immigrants brought the United States as children. DACA, however, does not offer a pathway to citizenship.
What is the Dream Act?
The Dream Act is bipartisan legislation that would offer a pathway to legal status for certain undocumented immigrants that were brought to the United States as children. Since 2001, several versions of this legislation have been introduced in Congress. The Dream and Promise Act of 2019, H.R. 6, passed the House of Representatives last year.
Who are Dreamers?
The term “Dreamers” is used to describe people who were brought to the United States without authorization as children. Dreamers have grown up and established lives in this country. On average, they have lived in the United States for 20 years.
How has COVID-19 impacted DACA recipients?
Over 200,000 DACA recipients are working on the frontlines as essential workers. This includes approximately 29,000 DACA recipients that are working in the healthcare industry, leading the United States’ pandemic response.
What is the current status of DACA?
The Trump administration announced that it was ending DACA in September of 2017. In response, several lawsuits were filed. These lawsuits resulted in nationwide injunctions that allowed people to renew their deferred action. Eventually, the lawsuits made it all the way up to the Supreme Court, where it was decided that the Trump administration’s attempt to end DACA was unlawful. DACA remains for the time being.
What is TPS?
Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is a temporary immigration status provided to nationals of certain countries experiencing armed conflict or natural disaster. TPS has been vital to hundreds of thousands of individuals that were in the United States when problems in their home country prevented them from returning safely.
What is DED?
Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) is a form of relief from removal that allows individuals from certain countries facing conflict or natural disaster to stay in the United States. It is very similar to TPS but derives from the President’s foreign policy authority rather than from a specific law. Currently, Liberia is the only country designated for DED.
Resources
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) Statements Regarding DACA:
Backgrounder on Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program
What is at stake as the Supreme Court weighs the future of immigrant ‘Dreamers’ (2020)
2020 SFCS Policy Platform
Download the Policy Platform Here
In the changing landscape of immigration policy and law, we remain committed to offering social and legal services to our immigrant neighbors, regardless of their immigration status. Read our Policy Platform to discover more about the inclusive community we are building, here in St. Louis.
