The Rev. Mark Junkans, Executive Director, LINC Houston was recently part of a conference call in which faith leaders from San Antonio, Dallas, Houston, and Austin made a moral and pragmatic case in favor of the DREAM Act. You can listen to that call here.
In the subsequent press release Rev. Junkans was featured sharing the story of a young latino man he has seen transformed by the hoplessness of being denined opportunity:
“I have intimate knowledge of the need in our communities to pass the Dream Act,” said Rev. Mark Junkans, Executive Director of LINC Houston, a faith-based non-profit organization providing social services and pastoral training in Houston. “For example, Juan is a nineteen-year-old young man whose parents brought him from Mexico at a very young age. His primary language is English and he achieved a 3.9 grade point average at his high school in North Houston. He is not able to continue his education and achieve his dream of being an architect due to his immigration status. I have seen Juan’s attitude change since graduation as he realizes that he doesn’t have a future here or in Mexico where he hasn’t lived since very young…I urge Senators Hutchison and Cornyn to ensure that our policies aren’t preventing people of goodwill and talent from contributing to our country.”
Rev. Junkans also shared this story and other thoughts with us at LIRS’s recent Lutheran Immigration Leadership Summit. In the video below he describes why renewing the promise of hope is key to rescuing the potential of young men like Juan and why we must have faith that change will come.