For Immediate Release:
Washington - Earlier today, 24 Catholic, Evangelical and Protestant faith-based organizations filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court of the United States in support of the Obama administration's November 2014 executive actions on immigration.
The amicus brief, also known as a “friend of the court” brief, supports the administration’s appeal of a previous injunction blocking the programs’ ability to keep families and communities together. Should the injunction be lifted, over five million people would be granted relief from potential deportation and granted the ability to travel and work legally in the United States. The amicus brief details the disservice that the injunction poses to immigrant communities and the public at large by keeping individuals and families in fear of deportation, hesitant to report crimes and prohibited from seeking educational and employment opportunities.
Today’s filing with the court broadly supports the administration’s fully constitutional use of prosecutorial discretion through the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents and expanded Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals programs, also referred to as DAPA and DACA.
“Every day that the U.S. Congress refuses to address comprehensive immigration reform is another day at risk for millions of immigrant families. The relief offered by the expansion of DACA and the creation of DAPA, while not enough, will at least abate that risk for 4.5 million of our brothers and sisters. I join in this brief and lift up prayers for those whose lives can be made better with a ruling in favor of DACA and DAPA.”
Rev. Gradye Parsons; Stated Clerk, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
To view the legal brief in full, please click here.
