Letters

In the Spirit of the Holidays, Congress Should Protect the Dreamers

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This sacred season is anchored by ancient stories of poor families seeking shelter from harm, welcoming the stranger, defending the orphan, resisting cruel kings and feeding the hungry.
As clergy in the Unitarian and Universalist religious traditions, we are humbled and challenged by these ancient stories of refuge. Our own religious heritage includes ancestors forced to flee their homes because of violence and persecution.
Inspired by that heritage, we urge the U.S. Congress to pass legislation providing permanent residency for Dreamers and other recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). Dreamers are neighbors, friends and families who are part of our local and national fabric. Their loss would harm us all. Too many families live with painful uncertainty because of immigration status – and deserve a secure future.
We also urge our friends and neighbors to be attentive to our everyday practice. Let’s all support those seeking refuge in our communities and starting new lives in New York. Let’s stop the fear and suspicion we may encounter in social media or town squares.
Our faith tradition, and so many others here in New York, have repeatedly called for a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers and other DACA recipients as a moral imperative.
In our spiritual and shared civic lives, this sacred season offers us all a chance to rededicate ourselves to welcoming the stranger, feeding the hungry and building a more loving world for all of the children in it.

With care,
Rev. Arlin Roy, First Unitarian Society of Westchester
Rev. Emily De Tar Birt, Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Northern Westchester
Rev. Daniel Lawlor, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Hudson Valley
Rev. Danielle Lindstrom, Community Unitarian Universalist Congregation of White Plains
Rev. Lane Cobb, Fourth Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Westchester
Rev. Mark Cutolo, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Rockland County

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