CONTACT:  Stephanie Niedringhaus, 202-347-9797 x224, [email protected]

Washington DC: NETWORK, A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby, deplores the Senate’s decision to block the DREAM Act. Sister Simone Campbell, NETWORK’s Executive Director, issued the following statement after the 55 to 41 vote on December 18:

“The Senate’s vote to block passage of the DREAM Act raised bullying behavior to a new level in our nation. By targeting children who were brought to the U.S. by their undocumented immigrant parents and by denying those children the opportunity to earn citizenship through hard work and sacrifice, legislators have embarrassed themselves and our nation. Worse than that, legislators who voted against DREAM yielded to pressure from nativist, bigoted people who find no shame in going after children during this Christmas season by spreading lies about the content and intent of the bill. Shame on all those senators who chose politics over justice and compassion. At NETWORK, we will press the new Congress to finally reform our immigration system so that justice triumphs over bigotry.”