On Saturday, President Obama announced his plans to delay executive action on immigration, postponing the opportunity to alleviate suffering caused by our immigration system until after the November midterm elections. In an interview on Sunday’s “Meet the Press,” the President argued that any action he could take before the elections may be harmful to the immigration debate as a whole and prospects for legislative reform.
Potential executive actions being floated by the Administration range in scope and could potentially affect the lives of up to 6 million members of our families, communities, and congregations. We will continue to work to hold the Administration accountable to create a fair and humane immigration process in the event that Congress does not.
As people of faith called to welcome the newcomer, LIRS believes that our immigration laws and policies should honor our history as a nation of immigrants and the American values of freedom and justice for all. Every day that Congress and the Administration delays reforms to our broken immigration system, hundreds of families are separated by detention and deportation. We have continuously called on Congress to enact compassionate immigration reform that translates into brighter futures for migrants and refugees and the communities that welcome them.
We will keep you updated as President Obama contemplates his next steps on immigration.
Please take a moment to use the LIRS Action Center to let your elected representatives know that people of faith stand for justice and compassion for all migrants and refugees. You can also sign up to receive Stand for Welcome advocacy updates to stay informed and learn of ways to take action.