Advent is a season of waiting and hope. As we enter the third week of Advent, these themes have taken on new meaning for me.
I see Dreamers courageously sharing their stories and tirelessly advocating for Congress to pass the bipartisan Dream Act before Christmas. Dreamers have a deep hope and great anticipation that the country they call home will claim them as its own and that their presence will be recognized as a blessing, not a burden.
Congress has just five days to pass a budget before they leave Washington for the Christmas recess.
When President Trump terminated the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program on Sept. 5, he made it clear that it is Congress’ job to create a legislation fix that would protect Dreamers. But the impact of repealing DACA was immediate—since the announcement, 12,000 DACA recipients have already lost their status, meaning they are now eligible for deportation and can no longer work legally. The Dream Act, a bill that would provide a pathway to citizenship for young undocumented immigrants, was first introduced in Congress in 2001, 16 years ago. There is clearly an urgency here that neither Congress nor the President are taking seriously. Dreamers have been asked to wait long enough.
Congress has just five days to pass a budget before they leave Washington, D.C. for the Christmas recess. Advocates say that if the Dream Act is not included in this year's budget, it will be even more difficult to pass in 2018 before the March 5 deadline, when the program officially terminates. Congress has an opportunity to give Dreamers the most meaningful Christmas gift they could ask for: the opportunity to gain legal status and live without fear of deportation through passing the Dream Act.
“Congress has just days to vote on the Dream Act before the end of the year. I can’t imagine how several members of Congress will be able to go home for Christmas in good faith, while thousands of productive, incredible young people may experience their last Christmas in the United States. The Dream Act would be the greatest gift imaginable to Dreamers. Dreamers all across the nation are losing sleep either because of their uncertain future or because of the tireless work they are doing to pressure Congress to act before the end of the year. Christmas is a time of giving and working for peace on Earth. There is no better time than now for Congress to pass the Dream Act.” -Danny
The Dream Act would be the greatest gift imaginable to Dreamers. (Danny)
“Truly, all I want for Christmas is for Congress to pass the Dream Act. Dreamers have waited long enough--the time is now for Congress to act. The uncertainty of the program and my future in this country is impacting many areas of my life. I was hoping to visit my family for Christmas but I can’t any longer because I am scared to travel. I am tired of making my decisions out of fear. Even though my DACA status expires in 545 days, I know that Dreamers like me are losing their status every day and I will also eventually lose mine unless Congress acts. I no longer feel comfortable in the country I call home. That’s why we need the Dream Act.” -Brandon
I was hoping to visit my family for Christmas but I can’t any longer because I am scared to travel. (Brandon)
“We are living at a time when it feels like our humanity is being questioned. As a Dreamer, I urge Congress to pass the Dream Act for Christmas--it’s time that we are recognized as the Americans that we know we are. My ability to work has positively impacted my entire family and the threat of losing that would be devastating to so many families like mine. Like everyone else, we have dreams and plans, but right now because Congress is playing politics with our lives, our futures are very uncertain. Congress’ failure to pass the Dream Act will impact us all as Dreamers contribute greatly to our communities and economy. The time to act is now!”- Yolanda
Because Congress is playing politics with our lives, our futures are very uncertain. (Yolanda)
Today, we are witnessing Dreamers putting hopeful anticipation into action. This Tuesday is a national call in day where thousands of people will join Dreamers to call Congress to urge them to pass the Dream Act for Christmas.
The Reformed family is a diverse family with a diverse range of opinions. Not all perspectives expressed on the blog represent the official positions of the Christian Reformed Church. Learn more about this blog, Reformed doctrines, and our diversity policy on our About page.
In order to steward ministry shares well, commenting isn’t available on Do Justice itself because we engage with comments and dialogue in other spaces. To comment on this post, please visit the Christian Reformed Centre for Public Dialogue’s Facebook page (for Canada-specific articles) or the Office of Social Justice’s Facebook page. Alternatively, please email us. We want to hear from you!
Read more about our comment policy.