WASHINGTON — Yesterday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the American Dream and Promise Act (H.R. 6) and the Farm Workforce Modernization Act (H.R. 1603), bipartisan bills that would provide a path to citizenship to more than three million immigrant youth, Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders, Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) holders, and seasonal farmworkers and their families. Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), and Bishop Mario E. Dorsonville, auxiliary bishop of Washington and chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Migration, issued the following statement in response:

“We welcome House passage of the American Dream and Promise Act and the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, which would help many hardworking immigrants reach their God-given potential, not only for their benefit but for that of the entire country. Inspired by the life of Christ, the Catholic Church remains committed to ensuring that all persons within our society are given the opportunity to flourish, especially those so often relegated to the margins. For that reason, we call on the Senate to take up and pass these measures swiftly, and we once again call on legislators from both chambers of Congress to work together to enact broader, vitally needed reforms to address our broken immigration system. We pledge to work with Congress and the Administration on this effort, which we believe is an urgent issue to uphold life and human dignity.”

On March 15, 2021, Bishop Dorsonville sent a letter to all members of the U.S. House of Representatives urging passage of the two bills. The full text of the letter can be found on the Justice for Immigrants website.

Last month, Bishop Dorsonville also sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, as well as all members of Congress, requesting that these bills receive immediate consideration in the new Congress.

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