SACRAMENTO, Calif.—In response to President Trump’s affirmation to keep DACA and not deport “DREAMers,” Rev. Samuel Rodriguez has made the following statement:
“I want to—in the highest possible terms—commend President Trump for fulfilling a promise he made directly to the NHCLC by continuing the DACA program and allowing DREAMers to stay in the United States. These young men and women were brought to this country not by their own choice, but they grew up in this country and have become as American as any other American. President Trump’s decision to keep DACA is exhibit A of the administration listening to and cooperating with the Hispanic community, and we commend him for it.
“The NHCLC also offers itself to the administration to help find long-term solutions for other immigrants, such as those who were previously protected by DAPA and other vulnerable communities across America. We are disappointed that parents and their children cannot celebrate together today.
“We once again urge the Department of Homeland Security to not separate families.
“We must remember the real solution to all of these issues in the United States of America is the responsibility of Congress, not the President, and we — once again — appeal to Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform. It’s more important now than ever before, and it is their responsibility to address this long standing issue. It is their responsibility to take up and prioritize this issue and to, once and for all, solve a problem they have exacerbated by their inaction.”
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Rev. Samuel Rodriguez is president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference. He has been named by CNN and Fox News as “the leader of the Hispanic Evangelical movement” and TIME Magazine nominated him among the 100 most influential leaders in America.
NHCLC/CONEL is the world’s largest Hispanic Christian organization. It serves as a representative voice for the more than 100 million Hispanic Evangelicals assembled in over 40,000 U.S. churches and another 500,000 congregations spread throughout the Spanish-speaking diaspora.
Website | www.nhclc.org Twitter | @nhclc
