Episcopal Church joins "Dream Sabbath" Campaign

[George Conklin <gconklin@igc.org>]

> The Episcopal Church

> Office of Public Affairs

Episcopal Church joins "Dream Sabbath" Campaign in support of 
national DREAM Act

Approved by General Convention 2009 in Resolution B006

[July 7, 2011] The Episcopal Church has joined other religious 
denominations and faith-based organizations in supporting the DREAM 
Act, and asks churches to participate in a Dream Sabbath between 
September 18 to October 9.

DREAM stands for Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors. 
The DREAM Act 2011 is bipartisan legislation that would grant 
legalized status to undocumented young people with good moral 
character who have lived in the U.S. for at least five years and 
graduated from high school. Permanent resident status would be 
available upon completion of two years of higher education or 
military service.

"The Episcopal Church supports the DREAM Act through the approval of 
General Convention 2009 Resolution B006," noted Alex Baumgarten, 
Episcopal Church Director of Government Relations and International 
Policy Analyst.  "The DREAM Act would help thousands of youth who 
came to our country as undocumented to receive legal status, thereby 
granting untold opportunities on their way to becoming United States citizens."

"Every child growing up in America deserves the opportunity to become 
a productive member of society and to achieve their dreams," noted 
Ana G. White, Episcopal Church Immigration and Refugee Policy 
Analyst.  "Withholding legal status from these children not only 
hurts them, but it deprives America of future generations of 
dedicated citizens, innovators, entrepreneurs and public servants. 
The DREAM Act will help them."

> Dream Sabbath Campaign

The Dream Sabbath Campaign is an interreligious effort, coordinated 
by the Interfaith Immigration Coalition, to enlist churches to 
dedicate a Sabbath for dialogue on the Dream Act.

Churches can also request a DREAM Act student come to their worship 
service between September 18 and October 9 to share their story.

> DREAM Act

Each year approximately 65,000 undocumented students graduate from 
U.S. high schools. Passage of the DREAM Act is one important step 
towards the just and humane reform the broken immigration system needs.

The DREAM Act was introduced in the 112th Congress on May 11 by 
Senators Richard Durbin (D-IL) and Harry Reid (D-NV) in the Senate as 
S.952 and in the House by Representatives Howard Berman (D-CA), 
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), and Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA) as H.R.1842.

The DREAM Act will not apply to students with criminal records or 
dishonorable discharges from the military. Rather, the DREAM Act 
would provide a tough but fair process by which they could gain legal status.

> Information

For more information and resources contact awhite@episcopalchurch.org

> DREAM 
> Act 
> http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/D?d112:3:./temp/~bd57Lu::|/home/LegislativeData.php| 

Dream Sabbath Campaign  www.interfaithimigration.org 
<http://www.interfaithimigration.org/

Episcopal Church General Convention 2009 Resolution B006: 
http://38.149.19.55/viewlegislation/view_leg_detail.aspx?id=961&type=Final

> Resource: National Immigration Law Center: 
> http://www.nilc.org/immlawpolicy/DREAM/

> On the web

Episcopal Church joins "Dream Sabbath" Campaign in support of 
national DREAM Act

http://www.episcopalchurch.org/newsline_128976_ENG_HTM.htm

The Episcopal Church welcomes all who worship Jesus Christ in 109 
dioceses and three regional areas in 16 nations.  The Episcopal 
Church is a member province of the worldwide Anglican Communion.

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> For more info contact:

> Neva Rae Fox

> Public Affairs Officer

> The Episcopal Church

publicaffairs@episcopalchurch.org <mailto:publicaffairs@episcopalchurch.org

> 212-716-6080  Mobile: 917-478-5659