DAI, Catholics Pressure Senators Cornyn and Cruz on DACA
Dallas Area Interfaith has been quietly working with Catholic congregations to build support for DREAMers who are now in danger of losing their temporary legal status as their DACA permits expire and a resolution is not in sight. So far, 20,000 signed letters to Senators Cruz and Cornyn have been collected in Catholic parishes in the Dallas area.
Read moreDAI Leverages Commitments in Suburban Congressional and State Legislative District Primaries
DAI leaders from Richardson, Garland and North Dallas engaged Democratic primary challengers in Congressional District 32, and Republican candidates for Senate District 2 and House Districts 114 and 102 . Leaders secured pledges around local control of payday lending ordinances and restoration of state funding to public schools and workforce development.
Preaching Citizenship, DAI Engages 1,200 New Citizen Recruits
In a major push to sign up new (and potential) voters, Dallas Area Interfaith leaders recruited over 1,200 US legal permanent residents, green card holders, to apply for US citizenship this year. Catholic priests and lay leaders took to the pulpit to spread the word that a key element of the Catholic faith is participation in public life, which includes voting.
The Dallas Morning News had this to say:
We’re impressed by the Dallas Area Interfaith’s proactive effort to help green card holders become U.S. citizens. The coalition of church-based groups exceeded its goal of getting 1,000 people in a year on the road to becoming citizens by prepping them for the citizenship test and helping them fill out forms. In this volatile environment for conversation about immigration, it helps to have a safe place for folks to go to get through this complicated process. With that final step, legal tax-paying residents gain the full rights of citizenship, including the right to vote. That’s true democracy at work.
Read moreFor Immigrants Without State ID, DAI Negotiates Dallas-Area Police Department Acceptance of Parish Identification Cards
For the first time in North Texas, immigrants without state ID will be allowed to use parish identification cards to identify themselves with Farmers Branch, Carrollton and Dallas Police Department officers. Dallas Area Interfaith leaders negotiated this ground breaking police department policy change in the aftermath of the passage of anti-immigrant State Senate Bill 4, in order to engender greater trust between police and immigrants.
Read more700 DAI Leaders Clarify Impact of SB4 with Dallas Police

Before a packed audience of 700 leaders of Dallas Area Interfaith, and on the one-year anniversary of the shooting that took the lives of five police officers, Dallas Area Interfaith continued the public conversation about community relationships with the police in the context of SB4. In response to stories about immigrants fearful of reporting crimes they've witnessed to the police, Dallas Catholic Auxiliary Bishop Greg Kelly announced, "This is evidence of why SB4 is bad."
Read moreDAI Turns Out 400 Votes in District 6 Runoff Election

Former Mayor Pro Tem Monica Alonzo, who waited until the day before the election to support Dallas Area Interfaith's agenda in support of affordable housing and early childhood education, lost the runoff by 291 votes - the largest margin of three runoff races that day.
Read moreDAI Grills Candidates on Affordable Housing, Schools & More

300 residents of District 6 assembled to grill city council candidates in a impoverished region of Dallas where only 800 votes were cast in the previous election. The nonpartisan accountability assembly was organized around issues leaders have been working on over the course of the year, including affordable housing, early education, an upcoming city bond and improvements to the 311 system.
Read moreDAI Weighs In On Appointment of New Catholic Bishop in Dallas

When Pope Francis announced the new bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Dallas, Bishop Edward Burns, DAI expressed eagerness to work with him. Said lead organizer Josephine Lopez-Paul, "His attention and care to the immigrant community will be very critical. Farrell focused on building bridges between communities, and we need that to continue."
Read more400 DAI Leaders Leverage Commitments from Dallas Police Chief

At one point, addressing immigrants in the packed room, Pughes said "we don't want to be immigration police." The chief additionally committed to working with leaders to address three areas in the city that see high level of drugs and prostitution, as well as developing a plan for the 8,000 feral dogs roaming neighborhood streets.
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