Mormon church calls on federal politicians to 'provide hope and opportunities' for fo
Mormon church calls on federal politicians to 'provide hope and opportunities' for former DACA recipients
January 26, 2018
Bob Mims
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints wants federal politicians to “provide hope and opportunities” for undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children.
Many of these immigrants had protection from deportation under Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, which allowed them a legal pathway to attend school and work in the country. But in September, President Donald Trump announced that he was rescinding the Obama-era program that he called an executive overreach and putting the responsibility for a solution on congressional leaders.
In a Friday statement, the LDS Church said that issues of immigration and legal status are “of concern for many of our members” due to its global presence and history of members emigrating for religious purposes.
“Immigration is a complex and sometimes divisive issue,” the church wrote. “As we have stated before, we believe that our first priority is to love and care for one another as Jesus Christ taught. Each nation must determine and administer its policies related to immigration. The Church does not advocate any specific legislative or executive solution. Our hope is that, in whatever solution emerges, there is provision for strengthening families and keeping them together.
“We also acknowledge that every nation has the right to enforce its laws and secure its borders and that all persons subject to a nation’s laws are accountable for their acts in relation to them.”
The church said it welcomes the ”sincere efforts of lawmakers and leaders to seek for solutions that honor these principles and extend compassion to those seeking a better life. Specifically, we call upon our national leaders to create policies that provide hope and opportunities for those, sometimes referred to as ‘Dreamers,’ who grew up here from a young age and for whom this country is their home.“
These immigrants have “built lives, pursued educational opportunities and been employed for years based on the policies that were in place,” the church wrote. “These individuals have demonstrated a capacity to serve and contribute positively in our society, and we believe they should be granted the opportunity to continue to do so.”
https://www.sltrib.com/news/politics...ca-recipients/
