September 5, 2017
By Aaron Weaver
DECATUR, Ga. — Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Executive Coordinator Suzii Paynter has issued the following statement regarding the announcement that the Trump Administration will end DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals), a program that has protected from deportation nearly 800,000 young undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States as children.
“This has been a trial program testing criteria that is given for a successful immigration program — speaking English, maintaining employment and contributing to the greater good of the United States,” Paynter said. “It has exceeded every criterion that we’ve ever looked at for successful immigration. The fact that President Trump won’t maintain it is a mistake. Now, Congress has the opportunity to take a proven program that has a positive outcome and make it a sustained program.”
Stephen K. Reeves, associate coordinator of partnerships and advocacy for CBF, also expressed disappointment and frustration with today’s announcement from the Trump Administration to end DACA, calling it “cruel” and “un-Christian.”
“I am disappointed and angry at the decision today,” Reeves said. “I’m heartbroken for the thousands of young people, including those in our CBF churches, wondering if they are wanted and if their best efforts are good enough. For them to lose faith in the promise of America would be a tragedy.”
Reeves urged churches to continue their advocacy efforts on behalf of these 800,000 young immigrants.
“Right now, churches have the chance to demonstrate the love of Christ in tangible ways by stepping in with a message of hope and with vocal and visible support, advocating on their behalf,” Reeves said. “No child determines where they are born or where they move. DACA students have been working hard, getting an education and playing by the rules — doing exactly what we ask of all Americans. To remove the protection this program provides is to threaten them with deportation after they put faith in our government. This action is cruel, short-sighted and un-Christian.”
CBF is committed to advocating for the just treatment of immigrants, Reeves said.
“We as Cooperative Baptists are committed to advocating for just treatment of the strangers among us, just as scripture commands. Today’s action provides Congress the opportunity to do the right thing and for CBF folks to play a role. Congress must act now by passing the bipartisan DREAM Act.”
To express your disappointment with the Trump Administration’s decision you can contact the White House here.
Please contact both your member of Congress and your two Senators to express your support for DACA recipients and urge they support passage of the DREAM Act.
The CBF Advocacy Action Team for Refugees and Immigrants will help coordinate our response through both local missions and federal advocacy.
Stay on top of their activities here.
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CBF is a Christian Network that helps people put their faith to practice through ministry efforts, global missions and a broad community of support.The Fellowship’s mission is to serve Christians and churches as they discover and fulfill their God-given mission.
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1) DACA was and is illegal and unconstitutional. It was never legally enacted. It gave them no protection. Giving people false hope is not compassionate. Even Senator Feinstein has acknowledged it was of questionable legality. It is highly likely it would have been struck down in court because it is contrary to law.
2) President Trump’s action gives the greatest hope for a statute to be passed protecting these kids. He got ahead of the litigation that would likely have abruptly struck it down and gave a significant period of time for legislation to be passed – which would actually make this legal and constitutional – that sort of matters, you know. The courts who review this may take that into consideration and delay making any rulings.
Your analysis is quite misleading…to say the least. We have laws and legal processes in this country that have to be respected as far as how we enact new policies – your effort to ignore this and engage in purely political narratives under the guise of compassion is wholly inappropriate.
By the way, I completely agree they should be allowed to say, but it has to be enacted legally and with a law that actually protects them. A stroke of the pen can be whisked away with another stroke of the pen – live by executive fiat, die by executive fiat. DACA is not a legal policy.
Instead of decrying this you should have welcomed it as an opportunity to pass an actual law.
I don’t think the Christian plan should be based on what is merely good legal argument. Rather it should be based on justice and concern for the disenfranchised. I agree with the notion of a permanent “fix” for Dreamers but a temporary stay from the notion of pending deportation is a humane albeit temporary solution.
Wondering what Ruben Ortize’s thoughts on Trump’s action are.
Sent from my iPad
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