DACA Ruling in Texas – We Are Inextricably Bound Together as Members of the UCI Community ♥ ✚
Dear campus community,
Last Friday, a federal judge in Texas ruled that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program is unlawful, halting the program’s ability to accept new applicants. While this is very concerning, please understand that many actions are in motion to preserve DACA. The Biden Administration will file an appeal, which could lead to further review by the United States Supreme Court, and the Department of Homeland Security will explore an administrative rule-making avenue.
If allowed to stand, this ruling will drastically impact the futures of nearly one million undocumented people, their families and their communities. Since 2012, DACA has enabled hundreds of thousands of young people to live and work while advancing their education and contributing to the prosperity of the United States. This decision will aggravate their vulnerability as well as individuals from mixed status families by denying them protection from deportation and the right to work and live in the United States. Justice was not served by this ruling.
Our commitment to undocumented members of the UCI community remains unchanged. As a campus committed to inclusive excellence, UCI is proud to serve as a pathway to the American Dream for talented people regardless of background. Whether a DACA recipient or not, we are and will remain bound together -as alumni, undergraduate and graduate students, faculty and staff. This connection simultaneously enriches our mission as a public university while accelerating the impact of our research, teaching and service in the world-locally, regionally, nationally and globally.
I want to urge all affected community members to be aware of campus resources. Below is a list of resources for counseling, immigration legal services, and ally training for students, faculty, and staff members.
Support and Resources:
- University of California Undocumented Student Resources and Campus Contacts
- Know Your Rights if Approached by Immigration Enforcement Agents
- Promoting Equity, Encouraging Success: How UCI Faculty and Staff Can Support Undocumented Students
- UCOP endorses Promoting a Safe and Secure Campus for All and Promoting a Safe and Secure Campus for All (Full Report)
- Undocumented Undergraduates on College Campuses: Understanding Their Challenges and Assets and What It Takes to Make an Undocufriendly Campus
- UC’s FAQs on Immigration Enforcement Actions and University of California Statement of Principles in Support of Undocumented Members of the UC Community
- Working with Immigrant-Origin Clients: An Update for Mental Health Professionals
Sincerely,
Douglas M. Haynes, Ph.D. (Pronouns: he/him/his)
Vice Chancellor for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Chief Diversity Officer
Director, ADVANCE Program
Professor of History