Expecting news of President Trump making changes to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy this week, UO president Michael Schill expressed the university’s support of undocumented students on campus via an email to campus.
“Regardless of what happens in our nation’s capital, I want to again make very clear that the University of Oregon supports every student, regardless of immigration status. Every person on our campus is valued and welcomed because of and not despite their diversity of thought, race, culture, background, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, and birthplace.”
The policy, approved by President Obama in 2012, concerns the status of children of undocumented immigrants. Students protected under DACA are often referred to as “dreamers,” must have arrived in the United States before the age of 16 and lived in the country continuously since June 2007.
Schill said that the UO will not facilitate immigration enforcement on campus without legal compulsion (such as a warrant), act on behalf of federal officials enforcing immigration laws or share information on the immigration status of the UO’s students.
The university is reaching out to students who may be directly affected by the expected changes, and Schill offered a list of resources for students who may have concerns and questions.
Resources listed by Schill in his email to students (DuckWeb/Emerald Media)
“In the coming weeks and months, I urge everyone in our community to reach out and embrace those students who now face the uncertainty of knowing whether they will be able to remain in the United States. As I have repeated on many occasions—we are a family. Families take care of each other, and we will do everything in our power to ensure that all of our students are supported.”
