MARCHA & GBCS Joined Statement on the DACA/DAPA Supreme Court decision

NEW YORK, NY - MAY 30:  A Colombian immigrant studies ahead of her citizenship exam at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Queens office on May 30, 2013 in the Long Island City neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. The branch office is located in an area heavily populated by immigrants and processes thousands of Green Card and U.S. citizenship applications each year.  (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)

6/23/2016 – Today, the Supreme Court of the United States – in a 4-4 decision – upheld the decision of a lower court, which challenged President Obama’s executive action on Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and Deferred Action for Parents of Americans (DAPA). This split decision will result in the forced separation of families, and as United Methodists living out our faith in a global connection, we must prioritize keeping families together.

The United Methodist Church is in “support of just and fair immigration policies that benefit and allow the family to preserve and maintain its unity” (2012 Book of Resolutions, “US Immigration and Family Unity”).

And just last month, the General Conference affirmed – in the resolution “Welcoming the Migrant to the US” – the Executive Action taken by the President as a “necessary temporary step that allowed certain groups of immigrants to apply for temporary legal status, though not citizenship.” And acknowledged that legislative change is “the permanent step that is needed.”

Separating children from their parents is immoral and is contrary to the teachings of Jesus Christ and The United Methodist Church. We remain committed to education and advocacy efforts that support our sisters and brothers who flee violence and terror and are in search of a better life.

The Rev. Dr. Susan Henry-Crowe

General Secretary, General Board of Church and Society
Bishop Elías Galván
Executive Director,
Metodistas Representando la Causa de los Hispanos Americanos (MARCHA)

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