Colleges and Universities Call on White House to Protect Dreamers

More than 560 colleges and universities signed and sent a letter to President Trump asking the administration to protect so-called “Dreamers” – individuals brought to the U.S. as children, many of whom are students and registered under the Deferred-Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. 

The term “Dreamers” refers to the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act (DREAM Act), which would provide a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as children.  The Act, which has been introduced, but not passed, in previous Congresses, has not yet been reintroduced in the current session.

While thanking President Trump for calling Dreamers “incredible kids,” the letter asks the administration to commit to allowing these individuals to continue to work and study in the U.S. without the fear that the DACA program will be repealed.  A significant amount of NAICU institutions joined this community-wide effort organized by the American Council on Education.  

The outreach attempts to build on the progress made when Secretary of Homeland Security, John Kelley, released the February immigration directive outlining the details of increased enforcement efforts to deport criminal illegal aliens.  That directive did not repeal DACA, and it also left in place the sensitive locations restrictions.

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Karin Johns