“The nearly 800,000 children brought to the US as children are now as American as anyone born here. Known as Dreamers, they are fully integrated into American life, and many are now paying taxes and contributing to our economy as they build their futures here. Apart from the immorality of expulsion, support for the Dreamers does not require political heroism. Nearly 8 in 10 voters support allowing the Dreamers to remain permanently in the country, including almost three-quarters of Trump voters, and only 14 percent believe they should be forced out. As Jews committed to welcoming the stranger, we call on the president to do the same.

“Despite public sentiment, 10 states have threatened President Trump with a lawsuit if he does not act to throw these children and young people out of the country by September 5. The president must resist this legal bullying to do the wrong thing. Instead he must honor the promise already made by the federal government and ensure that the Dreamers continue to enjoy a reprieve from deportation.

“Congress must also play its role by enacting comprehensive immigration reform with a path to citizenship, a task it has been unable to accomplish for more than a decade. At the very least our senators and representatives should protect these young immigrants by passing the Dream Act to provide a path to citizenship for Dreamers.”