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On a chilly afternoon/evening, at least by NC standards, John Fleming and Dave and Cindy Charters, represented Christ the King Lutheran Church at a vigil in front of the building where Senator Tillis has his offices in downtown Raleigh. The vigil, organized by various church groups advocating for immigration reform, was held to amplify the need for Congress to quickly pass legislation offering a pathway to citizenship for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients and those holding Temporary Protected Status (TPS). Thanks to Giovana Oaxaca, ELCA Program Director for Migration Policy, for alerting us to this vigil.
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As you can see in the photo below, approximately 25 people of all ages attended the vigil. We were honored to have family members of DACA recipients tell their family stories, and how important it is for the DACA recipients and TPS holders to gain a pathway to citizenship. They explained how critical the DACA recipients, as well as all immigrants, are to NC and the NC economy. It was noted how the DACA recipients have to submit costly applications every 2 years to renew their status, and how there are restrictions against new DACA applications.
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At the end of the vigil, one of the leaders brought the approximately 130 letters signed by NC residents to Senator Tillis’s office inside the building. Several members from Christ the King were signers of the letters. A special thanks to everyone who did so, even though the timeframe was short.
Senator Tillis was recently part of a bi-partisan team working on the long-needed legislation to address DACA, TPS and other immigration issues. They were unsuccessful in getting the bill to the Senate floor for a vote during the last Congress but this work needs to continue….as does the need to advocate for this legislation due to its importance to all North Carolinians.
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