Nineteen higher education institutions across the nation have filed briefs in support of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
The amicus, or “friend of the court,” briefs were jointly filed on September 27 in the case Department of Homeland Security et al. v. Regents of the University of California et al in the U.S. Supreme Court.
The lawsuit challenges the repealing of the program which protected 800,000 immigrants from deportation. Under DACA, the students who arrive undocumented in the United States as children are allowed to work and study and obtain protection from deportation. They are often called DREAMers.
“‘[L]ike their peers,’ the DACA students on amici’s campuses ‘are extraordinarily talented young people who… aspire to be leaders in public service, science, business, medicine and the arts,” the Brown University brief states.
“They embody the drive and determination that has made the United States the most prosperous and innovative country in the world.’ And by virtue of DACA… these students have been able for the first time to access educational and life opportunities on nearly equal terms with their peers.”
DACA recipients are members of the Nevada family, and we take care of our family. By ending DACA, the Trump administration turned its back on hundreds of thousands of young people who only want to continue living and working in the country they call home. https://t.co/GLk5WktaQa
— Aaron D. Ford (@AaronDFordNV) October 5, 2019
In recent years many colleges and universities, national security experts, members of the congress among others have supported the continuation of the DACA program.
“The message is clear — DACA has benefited hundreds of thousands of Dreamers who simply want to continue contributing to the country and the communities they consider home,” John A. Pérez, chair of the UC Board of Regents said in a statement.
The colleges that filed the brief jointly along with Brown are: California Institute of Technology, Columbia University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Duke University, Emory University, Georgetown University, George Washington University, Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, New York University, Northwestern University, Stanford University, the University of Chicago, the University of Pennsylvania, Vanderbilt University, Washington University in St. Louis and Yale University.
The next hearing in the case is scheduled for November 12th.
Arizona Commerce Chamber to Support DACA Students Tuition Reduction Bill
