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To: President Barack Obama

Suspend Deportations & Stop Tearing Families Apart

Suspend the deportations today of those who could be made citizens tomorrow.

Why is this important?

As Congress takes up the work of including the 11 million among us who call the US home but are yet to be fully included because of their immigration status, more than 1,100 people are deported - separated from their families and loved ones - each day that the debate goes forward. Now that a bi-partisan framework has been presented in Washington, it only makes sense to provide relief from the fearsome specter of deportation for those who would be included in the bill presented by both parties.

A suspension of deportations while Congress considers immigration reform would make it possible for undocumented people to more fully participate in the civic process where their fate is being decided and move us down the road to citizenship and remove the barriers of deportation and unjust enforcement.

Dear President Obama,

In all our faith traditions we are taught to love our neighbor. Therefore, we applaud your leadership to see to the passage of immigration reform that would make the US a more welcoming nation and fully recognize the humanity of all those who call it home.

Please use your authority to suspend deportations while Congress seeks immigration reform.

We believe you have the moral responsibility to do what is in your power to keep families together and reduce the suffering caused by unjust deportation.

Signed:

Rev. Minerva Carcaño, Bishop of the Los Angeles Episcopal Area, California-Pacific Conference for the United Methodist Church and the official spokesperson for the United Methodist Council of Bishops on the issue of immigration

Additional principal signers include:
Rev. Peter Morales, President of the Unitarian Universalist Association
Rabbi Sharon Brous, Founding Rabbi of IKAR
Rev. Otis Moss III Pastor, Trinity United Church of Christ
Rev. Dr. Katharine Henderson, President of Auburn Seminary
Rev. Michael-Ray Mathews, Director of Clergy Organizing, PICO Network
Rev. Donna Schaper, Senior Minister, Judson Memorial Church
*Institutional affiliations are provided for identification purposes only

This campaign was launched alongside the “Not One More Deportation” work with NDLON, the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, which improves the lives of day laborers in the United States. Learn more here: http://www.ndlon.org/en/about-us.

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Updates

2013-07-25 17:19:34 -0400

Check out Bishop Minerva Carcaño's piece on the front page of Huffington Post Religion called, "Immigration: It's About Families." http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bishop-minerva-g-carcano/immigration-reform_b_3641574.html