National Catholic Call-in Day is Feb. 26

Published: February 23, 2018

Bishop Anthony B. Taylor is urging all Catholics to participate in the National Catholic Call-in Day for the Protection of Dreamers on Monday, Feb. 26.

The U.S. Senate on Feb. 15 failed to pass three separate pieces of legislation that would have given a path to citizenship to 1.8 million undocumented immigrants, commonly called Dreamers. Please call Arkansas' U.S. Senators Tom Cotton and John Boozman, and your district's U.S. house representative to urge them to pass legislation to protect Dreamers from deportation. 

Call the senators through the Capitol switchboard at (855) 589-5698 and press 1 to connect to each senator. Once connected to the senators' offices, ask the person on the phone to deliver this message to the legislator: 

"I urge you to support a bipartisan, common-sense and humane solution for Dreamers: Protect Dreamers from deportation and provide them with a path to citizenship. Reject proposals that undermine family immigration or protections for unaccompanied children. As a Catholic, I know that families are not 'chains,' but a blessing to be protected.  Act now to protect Dreamers, our immigrant brothers and sisters."

Call your house representative by again dialing (855) 589-5698 to reach the Capitol switchboard and press 2. Once connected to your representative's office, ask the person on the phone to deliver the same message to the legislator.

Cotton and Boozman voted together when the Senate voted on the three immigration bills. All bills failed to reach the required 60 votes to move forward.

• Coons-McCain bill, voted down 52-47. Cotton and Boozman voted nay. It was a bipartisan bill that would have provided a path to citizenship for 1.8 million undocumented immigrants plus border security money, but no money for “the wall.”
• Common Sense Caucus bill, voted down 54-45. Cotton and Boozman voted nay. It would have provided a path to citizenship for 1.8 million undocumented immigrants, $25 billion for border security and prevented DACA recipients from sponsoring their parents for legal status.
• Grassley bill, voted down 39-60. Cotton and Boozman voted yea. It also would have provided a path to citizenship for 1.8 million undocumented immigrants, but gave $25 billion for a border wall plus cut back significantly on family immigration and eliminated the diversity visa lottery.