A recording of today’s call is available here.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — A pastor, a police chief, a Dreamer and a national immigration expert discussed the impacts of our current immigration policies on their lives and communities, and advocated for bipartisan solutions during a press call today.
The following are quotes from speakers on today’s call:
Andrea Castaneda Lauver, Youth Pastor, Orange Church of the Nazarene, Orange, Texas:
“As an evangelical Christian, the reason I speak out for immigrants such as myself, my family and many others is because of my commitment to the fact that I believe that every single human being is made in the image and likeness of God and has gifts and graces that make our American community better. Myself and many others on Temporary Protected Status (TPS) are committed and rooted members of our society. The cancellation of our status is, in a sense, clipping our wings and not allowing us to continue to thrive and contribute to our society.”
Andres Perilla, Dreamer and Oil & Gas Product Design Engineer, Oklahoma City:
“As a Dreamer, having the legal freedom to apply for education paved the future for my life. Without this opportunity, there’s no way I would have been able to pursue, complete and receive my mechanical engineering degree. Because of the investment my community made in my life, I now have the freedom to invest back into my country through a STEM career. In addition to this, being a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipient drove me to start my own 501(c)(3) non-profit foundation with the purpose of providing merit and need-based scholarships to those pursuing higher education. Through the process of this, we strive to bring awareness about DACA and the issues we face. Plain and simple, we’re Americans without citizenship.”
Chief Victor Rodriguez, McAllen, Texas, Police Department:
“Right now we are facing a humanitarian, health and public safety crisis in McAllen. In our view, it will continue until we can get our leadership in Washington, D.C., to establish immigration reform that people can abide by.”
Ali Noorani, Executive Director, National Immigration Forum:
“We are cautiously optimistic that the process beginning in the White House will yield constructive results. There is a long way to go before bipartisan solutions emerge. But, across the country, we see that Americans are willing to unify on this issue. Our leaders on both sides, in the administration and also in Congress, need to follow the lead of the voters who want solutions.”
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