Archbishop Gomez urges action to protect DACA youths  

With a deadline looming for congressional action, Archbishop José H. Gomez is calling on Catholics and all people in the Los Angeles Archdiocese to​ urge their House representatives to protect more than 800,000 young men and women who were brought to this country as minors by undocumented parents. 

Most of these young people have been living without authorization in this country for more than a decade. They face deportation if Congress fails to act by March 5, 2018, to renew protections currently extended under the federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. 

“Our elected officials know what they need to do,” Archbishop Gomez said. “They need to know right now that we care — and that millions of voters care also.” 

Archbishop Gomez said it is critical for the House of Representatives to pass legislation before the end of the year to enable the U.S. Senate to finish work on the legislation before the March deadline. 

The Archdiocese of Los Angeles has created a special webpage to help Catholics contact their legislators. For details, go to http://action.thenextamerica.org