In less than 24 hours, nearly 200 Connecticut Conference clergy signed on to a letter standing with DACA recipients and calling on Congress to reinstate DACA and commit to write and pass a comprehensive immigration reform bill this year.

The letter will be sent to Connecticut's two US Senators and five Representatives in Congress. It will also be sent next week to Connecticut's State Senators and Representatives, along with a testimonial from Conference Minister the Rev. Kent J. Siladi speaking in favor of House Bill 5031, which would make undocumented students eligible for student-generated financial aid.

The letter falls on the heels of an organizational meeting held at Center Church in Hartford last week, where clergy and lay leaders from six churches and the Conference got together to learn more about the issues surrounding immigration and to discuss next steps that churches can take. Related resources will be posted on the Conference website shortly.

The letter is based on a statement written by TJ Harper, Associate for Racial Justice Ministries for the Connecticut and Massachusetts Conferences, and Kelly Gallagher, Associate Conference Minister in Massachusetts.

The letter and a list of signatories can be found here.  Clergy are invited to add their names through Feb. 12.