Around 550 university presidents in the US signed a statement earlier in December calling for the upholding, continuation, and expansion of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, in the wake of last month’s election of Donald Trump to the US Presidency.
Trump has said that he would end the program, which enables undocumented youths, brought to the US as minors, to live, study and work in the country for a limited time. Current US President, Barack Obama created the program via executive action in 2012. The Pomona College website hosts the statement, which notes that all universities have seen the benefits of the program for students since DACA’s implementation.
Many college and university presidents in Ohio signed the statement. These include Ohio University President, Roderick McDavis, Michael Drake from Ohio State, Kenyon College’s Sean Decatur, and the University of Dayton’s Eric F. Spina. The statement says that the recipients of the deferred action program on their university campuses have been exemplary student leaders and scholars who, because of the program, were able to pursue opportunities in education, the non-profit sector, business, and high-tech. The students have gone on to medical school, graduate school and law schools in a variety of disciplines, making major contributions to local economies and communities.
Over 700,000 young undocumented immigrants have been granted deferred action, allowing them to work and study in the US without fear of deportation for the duration of the program.