Backing DREAM Act, USCCB campaign says Rubio bill would ‘create permanent underclass’
June 11, 2012
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Urging Catholics to contact members of Congress and offering seven “talking points,” the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Justice for Immigrants campaign has renewed its previous calls to support the DREAM Act while criticizing an alternative measure proposed by Sen. Marco Rubio, a Florida Republican who is the son of two Cuban immigrants.
“The US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has long supported the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act,” Justice for Immigrants states in a new action alert. “With bipartisan backing for over a decade, this legislation would provide a path to citizenship and access to in-state tuition for qualified undocumented youth who were brought to the United States--some as infants--by their parents.”
“Alternatives of the DREAM Act are being proposed by some lawmakers, including Senator Marco Rubio (FL),” the Justice for Immigrants statements adds. “Unfortunately, his proposal does not include a specific path to citizenship. That is problematic because, although this variations [sic] of the DREAM Act would allow some undocumented youth to legalize their status, the inability to attain United States citizenship places these young men and women at risk of living as second class citizens in our society.”
The action alert continues:
The changes to the DREAM Act offered by Sen. Rubio would create a permanent underclass of people who would be unable to receive the benefits and protections as American citizens. The U.S. Catholic bishops firmly believe that DREAM Act eligible youth should have an opportunity to earn their citizenship. While Sen. Rubio is to be commended for engaging in the issue of bringing a segment of the undocumented population out of the shadows, the current version of the DREAM Act is a better legislative vehicle than the any of the proposed alternatives.
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Posted by: unum -
Jun. 12, 2012 9:00 AM ET USA
Our progressive politico-bishops are at it again, urging the expenditure of funds the U.S. doesn't have on a program the people don't support while positioning themselves solidly on the political side of the Democrats. They will never learn as they follow a secular political agenda for Christ's Church.
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Posted by: aclune9083 -
Jun. 11, 2012 9:33 PM ET USA
once again, the USCCB is out of touch with reality. The DREAM act effectively negates the sensible regulation of our borders; it rewards those who illegally violate our sovereignty. There is a path to citizenship clearly spelled out in regulation. The regulation can be adjusted, but, as always, the rule of just law--which permits a sovereign state to govern access to its territory--must be respected. Bishops, work to amend existing law, not circumvent it.
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Posted by: lauriem5377 -
Jun. 11, 2012 7:09 PM ET USA
Aren't we on the brink of public bankruptcy? I want to be a good Catholic and be obedient to our Bishops, but is it right to keep advocating for our government (federal and states) to keep spending money it doesn't have?
