2 WWW.THERECORDNEWSPAPER.ORG LOCAL / NATION THE RECORD JUNE 25, 2020
By BETTY ARAYA
Catholic News Service
WASHINGTON - "It's DACA; it's good." Those were the words Giovana Oaxaca wrote to her staff, hands trembling, when she heard the Supreme Court ruled in favor of recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA. On June 18, the U.S. Su- preme Court in a 5-4 rul- ing said President Donald Trump could not stop the program with his 2017 ex- ecutive order. DACA protects about 700,000 young people who qualify for the program from deportation and allows them to work, go to college, get health insurance and ob- tain a driver's license. The program was estab- lished by President Barack Obama with an executive order in 2012 to allow young people brought into the coun- try illegally as minors by their parents to stay in the United States. Oaxaca works for the Cath- olic social justice lobby Net- work as a government rela- tions associate. Part of her job is being an activist and ad- vocate for immigrant rights. "I was filled with, I use this word not lightly but, trepidation because every sign pointed to the decision being unfavorably toward DACA," said Oaxaca in an interview with the Catholic News Service. "I grew up thinking that I was going to have DACA for an uncertain amount of time and there would be a solution eventually," she continued. "And when this administra- tion came around in 2016, all of those hopes were immedi- ately whisked away. "Because that's what the administration ran on, and that's what the adminis- tration had been proposing - an end to DACA. So, for several years now, I've felt this lack of support, lack of acknowledgment that there is a need for a solution here," she said. Though the June 18 deci- sion was favorable, Oaxaca believes the U.S. immigra- tion system as a whole is not. "If the Supreme Court had elected to allow the admin- istration to go through with ending DACA, there's a very real possibility that I would not have been able to renew my DACA on time, and I would not have been able to work legally in the country," she explained. "And that's in the midst of an economic and public health crisis." This is the reality for many DACA recipients and their families. Oaxaca and activ- ists like her have worked for years to create a permanent solution for "Dreamers." Congress has considered the proposed Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act, or DREAM Act, which would grant temporary conditional residency to these young people. First introduced in 2001, it has yet to pass. "I think it shows that we've taken DACA nearly as far as you can go, and we've done everything we can as organizers, as immi- grant rights activists and advocates, to show that a program like DACA needs to exist with full protections, meaning pathway to citizen- ship eventually being made available," said Oaxaca. In 2017, when Trump is- sued the executive order, the administration stopped considering new applications for DACA but allowed cur- rent DACA recipients with a permit set to expire before March 5, 2018, the opportu- nity to apply for a two-year renewal if they applied by Oct. 5, 2018. Because various lawsuits were filed to challenge the executive order, an injunc- tion was put on Trump's plan until the suits made their way through the courts, with the case finally ending up at the Supreme Court. The court agreed to hear the case in June 2019. "Growing up as a DACA re- cipient or as an immigrant in general, you don't really know what to expect," said Tania Hernandez-Orozco, a nurs- ing student at Delaware Uni- versity and a TheDream.US scholar, said. "You just listen to the news and pray that your family isn't the next to get separated." This fear for Hernandez- Orozco has been reality for Christian Aguirre, who is a fellow TheDream.US scholar. Around March 2017, Agu- irre was separated from his mother. After she was di- agnosed with dementia, he and his family made the dif- ficult decision for her to move back to Guadalajara, Mexico, where she could get the care she needed from their family. At the time, Aguirre thought he could visit her in a few short months. Howev- er, in September 2017, DACA was rescinded and he has not seen his mother since; he could not leave the U.S. and expect to come back in. Like his peers, Aguirre feels a sense of relief from the Supreme Court ruling, but he knows the fight is far from over. Citizenship is the only thing that will end the uncertainty for DACA re- cipients and guarantee the security that many others take for granted.
Young people welcome DACA ruling
DACA recipients feel some relief, but realize their struggle is not over
By LESLIE MILLER
Catholic News Service
ARLINGTON, Va. - The U.S. bishops are urging Catholics to "pray, reflect and take action" on religious liberty in the United States and abroad during Religious Freedom Week June 22-29. The first day of the ob- servance is the feast of Sts. Thomas More and John Fish- er, both martyred for their Catholic faith. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has pre- pared materials - in Span- ish and English - about cur- rent issues and challenges to religious freedom that are available at https://bit. ly/3hNYfTU. Each day of the week highlights a dif- ferent issue, and the materi- als include related lectionary notes, promotional bulletin inserts, and graphics and social media downloads. So far, the week highlight- ed freedom of conscience in health care June 22; freedom to worship without fear June 23; and the Catholic Church in China, and rights of all religious minorities June 24. The remainder of the week will highlight: June 25: Freedom of con- science in adoption and foster care - The opioid crisis has put a strain on the foster care system. Yet while more chil- dren are waiting to be placed in families, a growing num- ber of cities will not work with faith-based agencies that refuse to place children in situations that violate the agencies' religious beliefs, such as with same-sex cou- ples or unmarried hetero- sexual couples. The USCCB supports the Child Welfare Provider Inclusion Act, which would prohibit the federal government, and any state that receives certain federal funding, from discriminating against agencies on the basis that they decline to provide services that conflict with their religious beliefs. June 26: Freedom from government intrusion on the border - The Diocese of Brownsville, Texas, has resisted efforts to construct a barrier wall on the southern U.S. border. The wall would run through land owned by the diocese, which will not cede it to the government. The diocese argues that free- dom of religion means civil authorities cannot impede the church from its mission, which includes ministry to those fleeing violence and poverty. The diocese is de- fending its position with the Religious Freedom Restora- tion Act, or RFRA, a 1993 law passed with bipartisan support that protects against government intrusion. The law has been under attack; the USCCB urges Congress to continue to support it. June 27: Freedom for Catholic schools - Educa- tion is central to the church's mission, and Catholic schools have been significant anchor institutions in many neigh- borhoods, benefiting even those not enrolled in their schools. Catholic leaders have played a leading role in ensuring that all children have access to quality educa- tion. The USCCB says Cath- olic schools need the space to operate in accordance with Catholic convictions if they are to continue to be a source of vitality for our society. June 28: Peace and rec- onciliation in the Central Af- rican Republic - The Central African Republic is one of the poorest countries in the world. After a long civil war that led to attacks on unarmed Mus- lim and Christian civilians, Cardinal Dieudonne Nzap- alainga of Bangui worked with Christian and Muslim groups to lead an interreli- gious movement to counter rising hatred and violence with peace and reconciliation. The USCCB and Catholic Re- lief Services, the U.S. bishops' overseas relief and develop- ment agency, helped launch the Central African Interfaith Peacebuilding Partnership, which supports programs to heal trauma, build peace, help citizens learn skills, and access loans to start farms and businesses. CRS also pro- vides humanitarian aid. June 29: Promoting a civil national dialogue - A strong tradition of social teaching compels Catholics to be actively engaged in the building up of our communi- ties and being involved in the political process. Yet today, many shy away from such involvement because politi- cal dialogue seems to be filled with harsh language and per- sonal attacks. When a hostile atmosphere prevents honest debate, it only serves to fur- ther divide our communi- ties. USCCB's "Civilize It" campaign aims to help com- munities engage in more civil discourse. Go to civilizeit.org to take the pledge.
Religious Freedom Week celebrated
Catholics called to 'pray, reflect and take action' through observance ending June 29
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Ursuline Sister Jamesetta DeFelice, educator, dies
Ursuline Sister of Lou- isville Jamesetta DeFelice, 89, died June 18 at Nazareth Home-Highlands. She was in her 71st year of religious life. Sister DeFelice, a Louis- ville native, served in Catho- lic education for 56 years - from 1956 until her retire- ment in 2007. In the Archdiocese of Louisville, she was princi- pal of St. Francis of Assisi, Holy Name and St. Polycarp schools and at Maryhurst High School. She also taught at St. Ann, St. Peter, St. Bon- iface, St. Vincent de Paul, St. Rita and St. Matthias schools and in schools in Southern Indiana, South Carolina, Maryland and Pennsylvania. Sister DeFelice also served at Marian Home as social services director from 2007 to 2009. From 2009-2011, she volunteered on the Marian Community Team at Sacred Heart Village. She is survived by one sister, Mary Borders, several nieces and nephews and the Ursuline community of sis- ters and associates. Funeral services will be private, with burial in St. Michael Cemetery. A Memo- rial Mass will be offered at a later date. Expressions of sympathy may be made to the Ursu- line Sisters and mailed to the Mission Advancement Office, 3105 Lexington Road, Louisville, Ky., 40206.
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