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Long Island Dream Act Coalition Endorse a Clean DREAM Act

As of October 2017, The Long Island Dream Act Coalition formally endorses a clean DREAM Act. The Long Island Dream Act Coalition is made up of students, teachers, and workers across Long Island who advocate for the rights of undocumented youth. As immigrant youth led groups have made clear around the country- DACA recipients and young immigrants are not bargaining chips for political parties and leaders.

The creation of the DACA program was temporary compromise by the Obama Administration after congress failed to agree on comprehensive immigration reform. During the time DACA was active, over 2 million people were deported, the highest amount in history. Furthermore, policies like quotas on beds for private detention, the militarization of law enforcement, and “felons not families” rhetoric was established and, which laid the groundwork for the onslaught of repression the immigrant community faces today.

As a movement, we must learn from past errors, and it was an error, to allow our community to be separated this way. In order to honestly defend the rights, liberties, and wellbeing of our immigrant community on Long Island, we cannot in good conscience support a compromise that includes the building of a wall on our southern border, criminalizes parents, or increases ICE’s militarized power.

We collectively agree and support the inclusion of Temporary Protection Service (TPS) recipients, those who did not qualify for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and those who may have qualified for DACA but did not apply, into the Federal DREAM Act of 2017.

We respectfully and urgently call on our leaders in congress- Rep. Peter King, Lee Zeldin, Tom Suozzi, and Kathleen Rice, to take action for the 18% of Long Island who are immigrants, for the thousands of DACA recipients, and those with TPS status. Join us in supporting a clean DREAM act for 2017.

Sincerely,

The Long Island DREAM Act Coalition

With the rescission of the Deferred Action for Children Arrivals (DACA) program, there is renewed pressure on Congress to pass federal legislation that would protect young immigrants who are vulnerable to deportation.​ With a 6-month deadline, Congress’ attempts at reform have resulted in a menu of legislative options.

On Sunday, November 12th, religious leaders of all faiths will lead a one mile pilgrimage to Congressman Peter King’s office to call on him to vote for a clean Dream Act that would provide immigrant youth a pathway to citizenship without harmful provisions such as border, or interior enforcement, or any form of border militarization that threatens the lives of the 11 million undocumented community members in this country.​​

Congressman King has stood behind the Recognizing America’s Children (RAC) Act, ​a legislative proposal that immigrant youth and advocates believe doesn’t go far enough in protecting the nearly 800,000 DACA recipients and the hundreds of thousands more who could not take advantage of the program.

While Congressman King has stated that the RAC Act is the Dream Act, we know the two are not the same. If the RAC Act gets passed, it would impose stricter eligibility requirements and a longer process to gain citizenship. Our immigrant youth have waited long enough!

Join faith leaders on November 12th and help amplify their call for a clean Dream Act that would allow immigrant families to stay together and grant undocumented youth the ability to live without fear!

Let us know if you are coming: http://bit.ly/2wApWHE​​

Pilgrimage co-sponsors include: 

Leadership Conference of Women Religious
Islamic Center of Long Island
Turkish Cultural Center
Episcopal Diocese of Long Island
Social Justice Committee at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock
Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal RC Church
Long Island Alliance of Churches
Metro Association of the New York Conference of the United Church of Christ
North Fork Spanish Apostolate
Pax Christi Long Island
Long Island Presbytery
Centro Corazon de Maria (Hampton Bays)
Rabbi Steven Moss, B’Nai Israel Reform Temple