Washington, June 18, 2020 – Today, the U.S. Supreme Court released their decision in the Department of Homeland Security v. Regents of the University of California case in which they rejected the Trump Administration's efforts to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Created in 2012 by President Obama, DACA allowed legal protections for individuals who were brought to this country as children and are currently residing, studying and working in the United States. In September 2017, President Trump moved to end the DACA program and rescind these legal protections. The following is a statement by Dr. Esther D. Brimmer, Executive Director and CEO of NAFSA: Association of International Educators.
"Today's Supreme Court decision is a cause for celebration for DACA recipients, their loved ones and the United States as a whole. DACA has allowed hundreds of thousands of young aspiring Americans to live, work and study in the United States without fear of being deported from the only country they have ever known. Through the current global pandemic, many DACA recipients have served on the frontlines in research labs, hospitals, nursing homes and grocery stores. For far too long, Dreamers have had to live with the fear of uncertainty as President Trump attempted to use their safety as a bargaining chip. NAFSA joined 43 higher education associations in an amicus brief for this case encouraging the Supreme Court to consider the irreparable harm ending the DACA would have on its recipients, as well as the unwelcoming message it would send to potential international students and scholars considering studying in the United States. Ending DACA would have destroyed futures and undermined families, punishing those who have come forward to contribute their energy and skills to this country. We are grateful these individuals can breathe a sigh of relief.
"While celebrating this victory, we know that the work to protect DACA recipients is not over. Now, more than ever, we must recognize the value of providing security for Dreamers and others who are harmed by the arbitrary and capricious acts of this administration. NAFSA stands with immigration advocates across the country in demanding Congress pass the bipartisan Dream Act and give these young individuals a path to citizenship, immediately. We must not shut the doors to the American dream or put people at risk of deportation who have already demonstrated that they contribute to and enrich America. Like the generations of immigrants who came before them, Dreamers love America and deserve the chance to prosper and thrive.”
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About NAFSA: Serving more than 10,000 members and international educators worldwide, NAFSA: Association of International Educators is the largest nonprofit association dedicated to international education and exchange. Visit us at www.nafsa.org/press. To learn more about our advocacy efforts on behalf of international education, visit www.nafsa.org/takeaction. Resources to guide our members on these issues can be found at www.nafsa.org/reginfo.