Washington D.C., Jul 20, 2017 / 05:01 am
Undocumented young people brought to the U.S. by their parents contribute to American society and deserve continued protections from the Trump administration, said the U.S. Catholic bishops this week.
"These young people entered the U.S. as children and know America as their only home. The dignity of every human being, particularly that of our children and youth, must be protected," Bishop Joe S. Vasquez of Austin, Texas said July 18.
Young people who qualify under the program are "contributors to our economy, veterans of our military, academic standouts in our universities, and leaders in our parishes," said the bishop, who chairs the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' migration committee.
The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy was implemented in 2012 by the Department of Homeland Security to address the situation of undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. at a young age. It provides more than 750,000 youth with a temporary reprieve from deportation and employment authorization to work legally in the U.S.