Students, University Administrators Respond to Trump’s DACA Decision

Today, President Donald Trump directed attorney Jeff Sessions to announce plans to roll back DACA — Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, the immigration policy instituted during Obama’s presidency that allows certain people who entered the U.S. without documentation when they were minors to remain in the country to live, work, and study. And since the announcement, students from across the country are protesting with walkouts.

Denver students walked out of class to take a stand:

Students in Arizona flooded the streets:

Oklahoma State University students made a bold statement with a silent protest:

School administrators across the country have also spoken out. University of California President Janet Napolitano, former U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security under the Obama administration who crafted the original DACA bill, said in a statement that she was "deeply troubled" by the decision. She said in the statement:

The University and the state of California stand together in our belief that students should be admitted to UC and other institutions of higher education based on their records of achievement and without regard to their immigration status. President Trump’s decision undermines the ability of affected students to support themselves while at UC or other universities. In light of today’s decision, I am immediately directing my advisory committee on undocumented students to determine how best to support and protect University of California students who rely on DACA over the next six months and beyond. In the meantime, UC will continue to offer services to our undocumented students, including:

• Continuing to allow California residents who are Dreamers to pay in-state tuition;
• Maintaining the DREAM loan program for financial aid;
• Offering legal services to our undocumented students;
• Supporting campus-based student service centers; and
• Directing campus police not to contact, detain, question or arrest individuals based on suspected undocumented status, or to enter agreements to undertake joint efforts to make arrests for federal immigration law violations.

At Indiana University, President Michael A. McRobbie said in a statement that the very diversity Trump aims to eradicate is what contributes most positively to the "civic, cultural, social and economic fabric of our state." He added that "ending the DACA program will undermine IU's ability to educate our students to prepare them for a lifetime of informed and active global citizenship. Nevertheless, we remain strongly committed to creating a supportive and welcoming environment for students from all backgrounds and from all parts of the globe."

Ohio State President Michael V. Drake also released a statement, saying, “I want to restate that we support our DACA students unequivocally, are committed to their success and will work diligently to gather and respond to their concerns."

University of Florida President W. Kent Fuchs encourages those affected to seek on-campus counseling services, taking solace in the fact that school administration will guard their student legal status private in adherence to federal and state law.

The decision to rescind DACA has also prompted outcry from business leaders, particularly the biggest leaders in tech. You can read their responses here.

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