Dear Antioch Community,
As you know, President Trump and the Department of Homeland Security issued a memorandum on September 5, 2017, announcing that it would end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program which has provided protection to over 800,000 individuals who were brought to the United States while they were children. Under the program, individuals must have clean criminal records, and be productive citizens of society. They are issued Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) and are expected to work or attend school.
It is estimated that over 10,000 of these “Dreamers” graduate from colleges or universities every year. Many have joined the military and are serving our country to keep us secure. In their own way, they have contributed to American society and to our economy. As consumers of goods and services, DACA recipients create jobs and stimulate the economy, paying an estimated $11.6B in taxes last year. America has been their home, they have grown up here and know no other country. They are Americans. Yet, with the end of DACA, Dreamers are subject to immediate loss of employment and deportation. This is not just an immigration issue. It is a human rights issue, tearing at the very fabric of our society, our values as a nation, and our sense of humanity.
Therefore, Antioch University joins other higher educational institutions who have responded in almost universal condemnation of this action. We are united in calling upon Congress to immediately and permanently establish safeguards to protect and secure the status of all current and future enrollees under the DACA program.
In the meantime, Antioch University remains committed to providing opportunity and access for all current and prospective students, regardless of their background, citizenship, heritage, or ethnicity. We are dedicated to protecting the security and privacy of all members of our community and will ensure that any current or future DACA students enrolled in our institution have the financial and other support necessary to continue and successfully complete their studies. Most important, DACA students need to know their legal rights. Therefore, Antioch University has prepared the attached list of resources.
We are a nation of immigrants. Virtually all of our families arrived in America seeking the same dreams. Through education, hard work, and perseverance, they succeeded. The DACA Dreamers have done the hard work. We respectfully and emphatically call upon Congress to right this wrong.
Sincerely,
William R. Groves. JD
Interim Chancellor, Antioch University
Iris Weisman, EdD
Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs & University Provost
Laurien Alexandre, PhD
Provost & CEO, Graduate School of Leadership & Change
Benjamin Pryor, PhD
Provost & CEO, Antioch University Seattle
Marian Glancy, PhD
Provost & CEO, Antioch University Midwest
Barbara Lipinski, PhD, JD
Provost & CEO, Antioch University Santa Barbara
Mark Flower, PhD
Provost & CEO, Antioch University Los Angeles
Barbara Andrews, PhD
Provost & CEO, Antioch University New England
Links to DACA Resources
- Rescission Of Deferred Action For Childhood Arrivals (DACA) via Homeland Security
- Fact Sheet: Rescission Of Deferred Action For Childhood Arrivals (DACA) via Homeland Security
- Frequently Asked Questions: Rescission Of Deferred Action For Childhood Arrivals (DACA) via Homeland Security
