Seeking Justice Together: The Loving Call For A Pathway To Citizenship
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(OPINION) As advocates led by Christian and Biblical understanding, we often find ourselves seeking the heart of God and striving to honor his principles. Our spirit-filled encounters have made one specific lesson clear, especially in the realm of migration justice: Love thy neighbor — no exceptions (Matthew 22:37-39).
A ruling from the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals earlier this month served as an urgent reminder that Congress must do far more to meet this calling. On Oct. 5, a federal judge affirmed a lower court’s decision that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals is unlawful. While current DACA recipients can still apply for renewal, this protective program is now in deep peril.
Make no mistake: Continued inaction from lawmakers is what led to this vulnerability. Congress must act swiftly to provide undocumented immigrants with the security they deserve.
Ten years without a permanent solution from Congress
June marked 10 years since the Obama administration created DACA, a work authorization and deportation relief program for undocumented immigrants who arrived as children. Despite repeated calls from advocates, lawmakers have yet to pass a legislative solution for this group — also known as “Dreamers,” based on the similar, but never-passed, proposals in Congress called the DREAM Act — or other undocumented immigrants.
This has come at a great cost. DACA weathered litigation challenges during the Trump administration, and the aggressions continue — most recently in the Fifth Circuit’s decision, which upheld the lower court’s flawed assessment of DACA.
Simultaneously, the Biden administration’s DACA rule, which formally codifies protections for some Dreamers, was set to begin this month. But the Fifth Circuit decision has ordered the Texas lower court to review the legality of Biden’s DACA rule. While DACA recipients can currently, and should, renew their status, the Department of Homeland Security is prohibited from processing new applications.
Yet again, DACA recipients are inhumanely treated like a ping pong ball, teetering between the executive and judicial branch. All the while, Congress has the authority to solve this cruelty.
The faithful call to act
The faithful calling to love every member of humanity with the same fervor with which one loves oneself compels us to consider the plights and prioritize the needs of the most vulnerable among us, despite perceived societal unworthiness (Matthew 25:40).
Yet, among competing priorities and policy agendas, it often feels like policymakers underappreciate the urgent need in undocumented communities. It grieves us to witness the stagnant, decades-long debate over a pathway to citizenship as undocumented communities endure hostility and exclusion in U.S. society.
This political chess deeply undermines DACA recipients’ ability to chart prosperous lives in the United States. As long as Congress fails to act on a pathway to citizenship, the two-year protection interval of DACA extends a perpetual threat of being separated from family and community — of being taken from home.
The faith community, however, has been stepping up. Interfaith constituents have been partnering in numerous congressional visits. With one unified voice, we called on Congress to act this year in creating a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.
We work to ensure that the same justice and mercy that instructs our walk as Christians also applies to how we engage with and perceive the experiences of others (Micah 6:8; Ephesians 4:32). It leads us to center equity and the voices of impacted communities (1 John 4:21). We believe the tears and prayers that grip the heart of God must also grip our hearts, so we are called to honor the millions of sacrifices made by undocumented communities every day. This conviction is rooted in God’s call to love our neighbors, with no exception.
Guided by this religious conviction, we will relentlessly and unapologetically work in solidarity with our beloved neighbors this year to advance a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. As Dreamers await yet another round of painful judicial and administrative decisions, we urge Congress to heed our call: pass a pathway to citizenship this year.
Anika Forrest leads the migration policy program at the Friends Committee on National Legislation, where she integrates her knowledge of the legislative process, political advocacy, and public policy reform to advance migration justice. She is also an adjunct professor of law at Temple University Beasley School of Law and a first-generation American.
Dayana Maldonado was the 2021-2022 program assistant for migration policy at the Friends Committee on National Legislation. In this role she worked to educate FCNL’s network and address immigration issues by developing legislative strategies, working in coalitions and supporting constituent and congressional relations.