A group of about 100 people–including Franciscan friars, religious sisters, and laity–gathered in the rotunda of the Russell Senate Building in Washington on Tuesday, and were led away in flex cuffs in a planned act of civil disobedience.
The protest was intended to pressure Congress to take action on “Dreamers,” or people who were brought to the United States illegally as children. It was organized as part of the Catholic Day of Action with Dreamers, an event planned by Catholic social advocacy groups.
Registered “Dreamers” are afforded renewable protection from deportation under an Obama-era policy called the “Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals” (DACA). President Donald Trump sought to end DACA in September of 2017 and gave Congress a six-month period to come up with a solution before the protections would expire on March 5.
Two federal courts have issued injunctions preventing the President from ending DACA.
On Monday, the Supreme Court declined to consider the Administration’s expedited appeal of those injunctions, ensuring that the program will remain as-is until a final court decision is made later this year.
Congressional legislators have been unable to pass compromise bills that would have codified parts of DACA into law. On Monday, the USCCB urged Catholics to call their Congressmen as part of the “National Call-in Day for the Protection of Dreamers.”
The PICO National Network, along with Faith in Public Life and the DC Catholic Coalition, organized Tuesday’s “day of action.” The day featured a prayer rally and peaceful civil disobedience, culminating with the arrests.
Before the Capitol Police attempted to disperse the protest, Bishop John Stowe, OFM Conv., Bishop of Lexington, addressed the crowd. Once the crowd began loudly praying a decade of the rosary, the police started to make arrests.
A total of 40 people were arrested and charged with “Crowding, Obstructing, or Incommoding.”
Full story at Catholic News Agency.
Virtue-signaling. The actions won’t make a difference in policy, but they will brag to their friends about how woke they are as SJWs. They are misguided in their aims. But SJWs want mostly to 1) emote, 2) feel good about themselves, and 3) virtue signal to others as a matter of pride.
Though I am not a supporter of this particular cause, I hasten to caution Anonymous that he/she is ascribing an intent into the heart of these folks who either marched or got arrested, or both. Only God can judge, folks. Judging the heart of another is something that is near impossible for a mortal to do, which is why Our Savior taught us not judge, lest we be judged (Matt. 7:1). So Anonymous, next time, why don’t you argue the merits of their cause.
Follow your own advice.
You have to assume that their intention was to help young undocumented people maintain a protected status.. Any other assumption of the intentions and motives is pure speculation. Your post was extremely cruel. jon took his time to admonish you and remind you of your Christian duty. You returned evil for good..
Could not agree more. Breaking the law is not a rational way to persuade legislators to change it. Those arrested deserved to be. This nation is based on the rule of law.
They are able to show up to protest this, but not the murder of babies. Perhaps they are more comfortable with people getting killed before they have a chance to enter this country illegally.
How did you know that none of these folks have ever showed up at a march for life? Again, ascribing mal-intent in another person is NOT good. It’s evil.
If that is the case then it is logical to conclude that you don’t mind being evil.
Pride sunk the devil.
Pride does seem to be an issue with jon. He writes like he is an infallible Pope whose judgements everyone must worship. Perhaps that is just his online personality. Perhaps he treats other people much better in the real world when the other guy could just punch him in the jaw. I don’t see how anyone could stay out of jail and the hospital for long if he or she treated others the way jon treats others online.
Anonymous: Hide behind your anonymous status!!!
Sure. No one knows who the Anonymous commenters are. In contrast, everyone knows who jon is. We all know his birthday, what schools he went to, where he works, what his picture looks like, and we all certainly know where jon’s home is. jon stands out in stark contrast to the cowardice of the Anonymous commenters. jon will definitely never, ever, ever ascribe bad motives, like cowardice, to anyone. Such behavior is beneath the lofty sermons that he preaches here.
‘Trespassers 4 Trespassers” how clever!
One last ’60’s hurrah.
The Church is under constant attack by neo-Bolsheviks.
The correct moral choice is NOT to undermine U.S. laws, but ask why the countries of origin for lawless immigrants are so rotten
Unfortunately, the so called “Illegal Dreamers” seem more important than the Unborn in our USA.
Remember, most have never tried to become a citizen, nor have tried to learn the American English language, and most seriously, do not have a job, and if they do, they work for “cash” and collect “welfare” along with all the other “freebies”. at our expense., and get a “tax refund” where we do not..
I am a staunch Catholic conservative , and believer in ” social Justice”, but the social justice that Jesus taught..;. that we help our fellow man; not give to the government to take their share and distribute the wealth to those they feel will help them with voting and keeping them in office.. BTW, many of the “so-called “dreamers”…
They do not have an opportunity to become a citizen. They do speak English. They have jobs or go to school. They do not take welfare.
You don’t seem to really understand what a Dreamer is. They are young people who were brought to this country as children by their parents. They are not at fault in the breaking of the law. They have lived here and made it there country. We educated them along with our American children.
They do not have the right to stay in this country. Obama gave them that right through a method that many view as an over-exercise of his power. President Trump wants Congress to make it legal for them to stay here.
By granting them amnesty, our country will only be encouraging more parents to smuggle their children into our country through the agency of criminal groups who have no respect for human life. After becoming citizens and after being indoctrinated by the Democratic party, they will use the power of the voting both to turn this county into a third world hellhole that is just like the country that they came from. They know no other way to vote except for the same things that destroyed their country of origin. They do not have the right to destroy our country. If they don’t like the values of our country then they should stay in their precious communist country and enjoy the benefits of their glorious police state.