West Texas bishop stands with DACA recipients amid court ruling

BIG COUNTRY, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program is expected to affect nearly 90,000 people in Texas, according to the Catholic bishops of Texas. Bishop Michael Sis of the Diocese of San Angelo is among those now speaking out.

The bishops issued a joint statement calling for justice and compassion toward those they say are being forced to leave their homes.

“This action further undermines each of these persons’ basic human rights to seek work and to support a family. It is contrary to the facts to claim that our state is harmed by DACA recipients lawfully working here. Instead, this kind of unprecedented and disruptive action by our government will harm our communities by fomenting fear, severing relationships, disrupting business and removing some of the most upstanding individuals from our community,” Catholic bishops of Texas shared.

They added that they will continue to advocate for compassionate outreach and meaningful reform to what they call a “terribly broken immigration system.”

“The unreasonableness and impending implementation of the Fifth Circuit’s ruling, targeting law-abiding people working and living in Texas, places a terrible burden on our communities… This decision will only exacerbate fear and distrust, pit community members against one another, and cause significant economic disruption for many communities,” Catholic bishops of Texas shared. “We want to say unequivocally to all our immigrant sisters and brothers, and in a particular way to those who arrived as children: We have heard your cries. We are with you in these difficult days. May God, who hears the cry of the poor, move all of us to bring his mercy and justice to our country.”

Bishop Michael Sis of the Diocese of San Angelo also released a statement in solidarity:

As shepherd of the faithful in West Texas, I wish to affirm clearly and charitably that our brothers and sisters who are DACA recipients are valued members of our communities. They have studied in our schools, they attend our parishes, and they contribute daily to the vitality and economy of this great state. They strive diligently in everything they do. Most were brought here as children, have known no other home, and have grown up with hopes and dreams forged in the same land as the rest of us.

The Gospel reminds us that every person is created in the image and likeness of God and deserves dignity, respect, and compassion. DACA recipients are not strangers among us: they are our neighbors, our friends, and our fellow parishioners. We are grateful for their gifts, their hard work, and the love they show for the only home they have truly ever known.

Rather than taking away their right to work in Texas, we should find a way for them to achieve permanent legal status here.

May we continue to walk together in solidarity, guided by faith, always seeking to build a community where every person is valued as a child of God.