DWG Letter of Support – June 18th, 2020
The University of Oregon Dreamers Working Group is comprised of faculty, staff, and students at the University of Oregon, who are dedicated to promoting an Undocu-friendly environment and improve the experiences of Dreamers students at our institution. Statement from the UO Dreamers Working Group on June 18, 2020:
Today we celebrate with our students and breathe a sigh of relief in response to news of the Supreme Court’s ruling that the 2012 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program stands. In a 5-4 decision, the Court ruled that the Trump Administration could not immediately eliminate the DACA program because it had not followed correct procedures in its attempt to do so.
For months, students at the University of Oregon, like other DACA recipients across the state and the country, waited in limbo for the SCOTUS decision, which would determine their ability to continue and complete their educations and pursue their chosen careers. Recently, advocates told the Court that thousands of DACA recipients are serving on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic in the U.S., as doctors, nurses, and healthcare workers. Today’s ruling impacts nearly 10,000 DACA recipients in the state of Oregon, among nearly ¾ of a million nationwide. For many UO students, the ruling provides temporary relief after a long period of anxiety and uncertainty.
While it is important to celebrate this hard-fought victory, we in the UO Dreamers Working Group acknowledge that it is not a permanent solution. Today’s ruling leaves open the possibility that the Trump Administration could try again to eliminate the DACA program, though it probably could not accomplish this before the November election. We also remember that DACA is temporary and only protects a small fraction of our Dreamer community. Indeed, we are just a few years away from the time when college freshmen will have been born too late to qualify. Furthermore, we recognize that the struggle for justice is intertwined with the fight for Black lives, as systems of unjust policing and punitive incarceration unduly harm immigrant and people of color communities.
Along with other Dreamer advocates, allies, and students across the country, we stand together in the broader effort to push for comprehensive immigration reform that will provide a path to citizenship, not only for DACA recipients, but for their parents, families, and others who make such important contributions to our country. Only through Congressional action can the precarious immigration status of millions of students and their families in the U.S be remedied.
