Tulsa World letter calls for DACA support - protect American immigrant children

Tulsa World ~ Oklahoma: Support for DACA: A Christian point of view

By Rev. Chris Moore, Tulsa OK: Letter to the editor

An Oklahoma native, Rev. Moore was ordained in 2009, after many years in the Internet Technology (I.T.) Management industry. He is a graduate of the University of Oregon and Phillips Theological Seminary, in Tulsa. He has served at the United Church of Norman, Mayflower Congregational UCC in Oklahoma City, and has been the pastor at Fellowship since late 2013. He currently resides on the board of JustHope, working collaboratively in Nicaragua, ACTION, a broad-based community organizing effort and Tulsa Metropolitan Ministry. He also participates extensively in the social justice efforts of Tulsa. His wife, Kathy, is a speech pathologist and they have two boys, Ian and Alec.

Dear Editor,

March 5 is approaching fast and Congress seems no closer to a solution for DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals- ie, children of immigrants) than it was when President Barack Obama first had to use an executive order, because Congress was unable or unwilling to deal with the humanitarian issue, in the first place.

The polls are overwhelmingly in favor of protection for DACA recipients. The evidence is clear that doing so is in everyone’s best interest and, here in the Bible Belt, don’t even get me started on how clear the Bible’s mandate is to care for the refugees and “strangers” in our midst.

President Trump can’t seem to decide if he wants to extend protections or remove them, if he wants a “bill of love” or just a wall, but it is long past time for Congress to stop worrying about what the President may or may not sign and stand up for DACA recipients with a clean bill and a clear vote.

It is the right thing to do. It is the moral thing to do and, since this seems to matter so much during campaign season, it is certainly the Christian thing to do. I urge everyone to contact their legislator and demand a clean DACA bill.

Editor's note: Chris Moore is senior minister of Fellowship Congregational UCC.