Certainly, all of us here at Daily Kos are thrilled by today’s Supreme Court decision to allow the Dreamers to stay in the U.S. And yes, we are thrilled that the ill-conceived and cruel Trump decision to send them “home” has been ruled null and void.
However, I think it’s very important to see this decision as supportive of DACA, NOT against Trump. Why?
An overwhelming majority of Americans support DACA, including many Republicans. To be against Dreamers is a distinctly extremist conservative view, even within the Republican Party. Perhaps one of the most important organizational supporters of DACA has been the U.S. Catholic Church. Certainly, the Catholic Church has had, and continues to have, issues, particularly with women and LGBTQ people.
But the Catholic Church, and elements within it, have traditionally stood up for immigrants, both legal and illegal, based on Catholic social teaching, i.e. ways in which Catholics can follow Christ’s teachings based on love. A number of Catholic churches have provided sanctuary to immigrants over the years. Pope Francis himself has spoken on behalf of refugees and immigrants. In the specific case regarding DACA, a number of U.S. Catholic organizations filed briefs this past fall in support of DACA. In other words, mainstream Catholic teaching and action has resulted in support of Dreamers, immigrants, and refugees by even Republican Catholics.
Contrast that to the radical evangelical view that either overtly or covertly supports white supremacy, tacitly accepting institutional racism and discrimination. These are the so-called Christians who support Trump and oppose DACA.
Although, on paper and in written opinions, the Supreme Court bases its decision on laws and the Constitution, certainly the justices’ values influence how they view these laws. And religion helps to shape the values of many people in this country.
Enter Chief Justice John Roberts, raised a Catholic, educated in Catholic schools, a practicing Catholic. Although I don’t know where he goes to church and who his pastor is, it is quite likely that he has heard numerous sermons urging Catholics to show love to immigrants, refugees, and perhaps even specifically the Dreamers. He probably understands Catholic Social Teaching. He knows what the Pope thinks. And he heard and read briefs by Catholic leaders supporting DACA. I, for one, am not surprised that he supported the law that supports the Dreamers.
John Roberts also went to Harvard and studied the civic law. His current job requires him to uphold that law. Certainly, he cited the civic law, not his Catholic faith, in the majority opinion that he crafted about DACA.
But if there were any values informing his decision, they weren’t centered on Donald Trump. I suspect: 1) that the Catholic Church’s stance on DACA was more influential; and 2) the fact that something or someone is more important than Trump really gets to Trump. It cheapens the entire process to put Trump at the center of this decision. It was about the Dreamers, not about Trump. Trump would love it to be about him, for or against. If it had been for his team’s legal argument, he’d have an excuse to boast about himself. If it was against him, he’d have an excuse to whine about how mean the the liberals are to him. He thrives on anything that is about him. To let this be about him in any way, shape or form — even to say it was a decision against him — is to put him at the center of something so much bigger and more important than he is.
This is too great a moment to focus on Trump. Let this decision be about the values that shaped our country’s laws. Let us see that many people of faith — Christian, Jewish, Muslim, etc. — view Dreamers through the prism of love that their faith teaches. Let’s use it as a positive step forward for equality and justice for all. Don’t let it be about hate.