STATEMENT
December 15, 2016
WORLD RELIEF STATEMENT ON BRIDGE ACT:
World Relief Applauds Introduction of the BRIDGE Act, Urges Congress to Prioritize and Pass Immigration Reform in the New Year
On December 9th, a bipartisan bill, the Bar Removal of Individuals who Dream and Grow our Economy (BRIDGE) Act, was introduced in the U.S. Senate which would sustain the temporary relief from deportation offered to particular young people through the Department of Homeland Security’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Under the proposed legislation, young people who came to United States as children, who have shown a commitment to education and who have not been involved in serious criminal offenses, would maintain their eligibility to work lawfully and to live without the constant fear of being subject to deportation.
World Relief applauds the bipartisan group of Congressional leaders who have introduced the BRIDGE Act. As a Christian organization, our concern for the well-being of these young people is rooted in our biblical convictions. Scripture makes clear that God has a particular concern for those who are vulnerable, including the foreign-born. Furthermore, the Bible teaches us that each of these young people is made in the Image of God, with inherent dignity and potential. This legislation will allow them to continue to use the gifts and talents that God has given each of them by continuing their employment, investing in education, providing for their families and serving their churches and communities.
The BRIDGE Act would provide “provisional protected presence” for individuals who are eligible for DACA for three years. Currently, there are approximately 740,000 individuals who have received DACA. Even those who are not currently DACA recipients, but are eligible for DACA, could apply for this status. The BRIDGE Act would be a welcomed but temporary solution, and World Relief urges Congress to prioritize and pass broad immigration reform as soon as possible.
We look forward to working with Members of Congress in both chambers to advance this legislation, and hope that the President will sign it into law. Through our network of local World Relief offices, and through local churches for whom World Relief provides technical legal support, we also stand ready to provide affordable, authorized, competent immigration legal advice to as many individuals as possible.
World Relief is a global, humanitarian relief and development organization that stands with the vulnerable and partners with local churches to end the cycle of suffering, transform lives and build sustainable communities. With over 70 years of experience, World Relief has 25 offices in the United States that specialize in refugee and immigration services, and works in 20 countries worldwide through disaster response, health and child development, economic development and peacebuilding.
Contact: Jenny Yang / jyang@wr.org / 433.527.8363 / Twitter: @JennyYangWR
###