Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is a program created by former President Barack Obama which shields roughly 800,000 U.S. young adults, otherwise known as Dreamers, who were illegally brought to the U.S. as children in hope of greater opportunity.
According to FOX News, Dreamers are allowed work permits and protection from immediate deportation. However, as the program may be coming to an end within the next six months, Dreamers are now struggling to prepare for the tremendous impact they will soon face.
โWe are 100 percent behind our DACA students,โ said California Lutheran University President Chris Kimball. โLike anybody here, we value them and we want them to be a part of the university community. Itโs going to get more and more stressful and we want to be there for our students.โ
Dreamers and DACA registrants have designated the third week of October as the Protect Dreamers Higher Education Theme Week. According to The Daily Signal, 114 college campuses are hosting DACA Advocacy week as a way of showing their support for these students.
Of the 114 college campuses celebrating DACA Advocacy Week, Cal Lutheran is not one of them.
Cynthia Duarte, the director of Cal Lutheranโs Center for Equality and Justice, said she wants to ensure these students are getting the support they need. She said having a DACA theme week at Cal Lutheran is not as beneficial for students because of the universityโs small size. Instead, Cal Lutheran is focusing on providing the resources and support so these students feel safe and welcomed in the community.ย
โWe have a lot of support groups for our DACA students,โ Duarte said. โA lot of what we do is informal because we like to protect their anonymity.โ
A student can be undocumented and not be under the DACA program. Most of Cal Lutheranโs undocumented students are under the DACA umbrella so they are protected by the program. Despite this, Duarte says these students are still living in fear because of how others view them.
โThey are protected from deportation, but weโre still living in a climate where some peopleโs ideas about these students arenโt supportive so we prefer to keep their status private,โ Duarte said.
Duarte said several Cal Lutheran programs such as Student Support Services (SSS) are always available to these students if needed. Additionally, Duarte, along with admissions counselor Diana Hernandez, is in the process of creating a DACA Allies program set to launch this semester. The first training program is planned to begin in November.
โSimilar to other allies programs on campus, the main purpose of the program is to allow students to know they are welcome, supported and safe,โ Hernandez said. โDr. Cynthia Duarte and I want to make sure students know where and who to go to for support throughout their time at Cal Lutheran.โ
Through the program, faculty will be trained and educated on the rights of DACA students, some of the issues themselves and their families face and the best strategies to follow to ensure these students are receiving an equal education.
Duarte said there should be policies allowing these students to officially participate in the labor market in order for them to obtain jobs and utilize their skills following graduation.
โThey were raised in our communities and in our culture,โ Duarte said. โThey are doing everything we tell our American students to do. Theyโre being responsible and obeying the law and they want to get an education or go into the military. I donโt see how thatโs a person we donโt want in this country because this is what we want in our young people.โ
Duarte said that as of Sept. 16 when DACA was rescinded, no new applications were accepted. The new administrative policy states if you already have DACA, your DACA and work permit will be valid up until the expiration date.
Any student with DACA status who was within the renewal period had until Oct. 5 to renew for two years on DACA regardless if the policy gets rescinded in March, according to National Immigration Law Center.
โNot every student is going to be thrown off the roster in March,โ Duarte said. โThe majority of our students who were eligible for a renewal did apply for renewal so they will have those two years, but we are now in a political limbo.โ
President Kimball encourages students to stick to obtaining their education because it will be the best thing for them moving forward.
โEducation is important. Itโs important for life development and opportunities, but itโs also a safe place for students. Immigration [officers] stay away from schools, at least they have so far, whereas in the workplace youโre much more vulnerable,โ Kimball said.
Hernandez said DACA allows for more diversity because it brings different cultures and upbringings to the community. It also allows students to continue their educational dreams.ย
โShould the program end, it would be completely disheartening for students and allies,โ Hernandez said. โWe, as a university and community, will stand with our students and continue to provide all of the support currently available to them.โ
Christie Kurdys
Reporter