Protect the ‘Dreamers’ and don’t build walls

We are members of the Youth Initiation to Adulthood program at the United Church of Santa Fe, a United Church of Christ, and we believe Congress should act to protect “Dreamers” and not build more walls. We believe immigration authorities should not be allowed to do as they please with young people who grew up here, went to the same schools we do, have the same dreams, and are just like us.

Other than Native Americans, we are all immigrants from somewhere. Any of us could have been a Dreamer.

To send today’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals or Dreamers back to a country and to a language they do not know, where they do not have family or friends to help them, is not right. That story would be one of shock, horror and despair for them and for us.

The Dreamers’ stories are stories of hope — that they can have a happy and successful life, that society will accept them rather than disown them because they have no citizenship papers, and that we can make a difference in their lives.

Our faith calls on us to do justice and to treat immigrants as citizens and love them as ourselves. We do not want our country to go back to the days of segregation where people are treated unfairly and discriminated against because of race, color or other differences. Dreamers and other immigrants are welcome to our church, our schools and our community.

This was written by the children of the United Church of Santa Fe, Youth Initiation to Adulthood Program.

This was sent by Ethan Manske, 13; Madelyn Kingston, 14; Jose’ Lain-Straus, 13; Naomi Eldridge, 14; Madeleine Philpot, 15; and Tenzing Manske, 13. The young people are members of the Youth Initiation to Adulthood program at United Church of Santa Fe where the Rev. Talitha Arnold is senior minister.