Tuesday, September 5th 2017
California State University — Students for Quality Education is committed to ensuring accessible, affordable, and equitable education for all people in California. In this context, Trump’s plan to repeal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is a horrific attack on already vulnerable communities and is in direct opposition to the core values our organization fights for everyday. Repealing DACA will have disastrous effects for its recipients and their supporters, as well as for thousands of CSU students.
DACA, A program that helps 800,000 undocumented immigrants who came in the country without documentation under the age of 16, gives undocumented immigrants protection from deportation and a work permit. Many students with DACA support their entire families, and their ability to work legally is the only thing keeping their families financially stable. Repealing DACA will force these students to return to low-wage exploitive work in order to pay for their education, or will force them out altogether if they are unable to piece together enough of this type of work to pay for school.
While we fight to defend DACA, it is important to note that not all undocumented students have DACA; many do not qualify or were unable to pay the fees required under the program. We need to speak out to protect those with DACA while fighting for a system that works for ALL of our immigrant students. We need California politicians and CSU administrators to be brave and visionary–we need them to show up for students. They can do this by ensuring immigrant students are protected from fear and deportation on our campuses. This is now more urgent than ever, since the federal government has access to DACA students’ personal information.
State leaders must also find creative ways to ensure that immigrant students and families can continue to work in California and attend the CSU. Immigrants will continue to contribute to California’s economy in many ways, and we want to build an economy that in turn rewards them, providing the ability to work without fear and the right to earn a living wage. Today, SQE members are taking action across the CSU system and in our communities around the state because we know that our voices must be heard. In SQE, undocumented students and allies will continue to fight together for a CSU that protects all students’ rights, honors our work, and supports our educational dreams.
For media inquiries contact Mick Bruckner: 415-846-5961, [email protected]