Opinion

Protect young undocumented immigrants

Monica Alfaro, a YesPrep Gulfton student, gets emotional as she shares with other “dreamer” club members the pain she feels in January thinking that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program would get repealed by President Donald Trump. Since then, Trump has reconsidered but several states, including Texas, are threatening to sue if the federal government doesn’t scrap the program. less Monica Alfaro, a YesPrep Gulfton student, gets emotional as she shares with other “dreamer” club members the pain she feels in January thinking that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program would ... more Photo: Marie D. De Jesús /Houston Chronicle Photo: Marie D. De Jesús /Houston Chronicle Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Protect young undocumented immigrants 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

President Donald Trump has sent mixed messages regarding young undocumented immigrants who were brought here as children. But our message is clear: We must find a way forward for these young people, who are American in everything but paperwork.

Last month, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton led a group of officials from 10 states in threatening to challenge in court a program that protects these young people temporarily unless the Trump administration revokes the program, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA.

This Department of Homeland Security policy temporarily protects young immigrants from deportation, and allows them to study and work in the United States. Everyone granted deferred action under DACA has passed a background check and paid fees.

Since the program’s inception in 2012, more than 785,000 young people have benefited, including more than 140,000 from Texas, according to government statistics. That puts us second in the nation, behind only California.

As evangelical pastors and leaders in our Texas communities, we care about our immigrant neighbors. With DACA, the Department of Homeland Security has its priorities straight: We should not devote our immigration enforcement resources to young people, brought here through no fault of their own, who want to study, work and contribute.

In their hearts, they are Americans. This is the only land they have ever known.

After saying during the campaign that he would repeal DACA, the president has been right to reconsider. In his Person of the Year interview in Time magazine, Trump said, “We’re going to work something out that’s going to make people happy and proud. (Recipients of DACA) got brought here at a very young age, they’ve worked here, they’ve gone to school here. Some were good students. Some have wonderful jobs. And they’re in never-never land because they don’t know what’s going to happen.”

In lieu of legislation from Congress that would provide permanent answers, we are grateful that so far the president has kept DACA in place.

By the same token, we are deeply grieved by the threat of a Texas-led lawsuit regarding DACA. We grieve as pastors, as leaders and as Texans.

As evangelical pastors and leaders, we believe that every person, being made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-28), has worth, value and creative potential. We affirm God’s love for all people and his call for us to minister to and care for the widow, orphan, the poor and the sojourner (Zechariah 7:8-12). We seek to lead our congregations to understand Jesus’ call to welcome the stranger, clearly outlined in the gospel of Matthew 25, and practice biblical hospitality.

As Texans, we recognize the benefits of an educated workforce and its importance to the continued economic success of our state. DACA students and their families are also making significant economic contributions to higher education: In 2013, DACA students in Texas paid $51.6 million in tuition and fees, in addition to an estimated $1.5 billion in state and local taxes, which in part fund higher education here.

Texas is better than this. Yes, DACA is only a temporary fix until Congress puts legislation in place and provides stability. Until then, though, its revocation would lead to the deportation of many young people with no alternatives, few resources and no home in the countries to which they would return.

In Micah 6:8, we see what God considers “good and required” by the Lord: to do justice and love mercy. Texas and our nation must follow God’s heart and love mercy.

We are asking that President Trump and his administration show mercy and continue to keep DACA in place, protecting its recipients so they can continue to lead productive and meaningful lives here.

And as the Texas attorney general’s constituents, we ask that he demonstrate leadership, support DACA and, alongside us, encourage Congress to do justice by moving legislation forward that protects our young immigrant neighbors.

Gus Reyes is director of the Texas Baptist Christian Life Commission and executive committee member of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference. Steve Branson is senior pastor of Village Parkway Baptist Church in San Antonio.