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University Presidents Express Support for Dreamers on Campus

Education, and Immigration

Posted October 2017

As the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program comes to an end, presidents of colleges and universities across the country are speaking up for Dreamers—the undocumented students who are an important part of their campus communities.

In a November 2016 statement, 701 college and university presidents expressed their support for DACA recipients.

"To our country's leaders we say that DACA should be upheld, continued, and expanded," they wrote. "America needs talent — and these students, who have been raised and educated in the United States, are already part of our national community. They represent what is best about America, and as scholars and leaders they are essential to the future."

From its inception in 2012, DACA unlocked opportunities that were previously unattainable to undocumented students, from work permits to scholarship opportunities. According to a report from the Center for American Progress, 92% of DACA beneficiaries say they pursued educational opportunities they previously could not without DACA, and at the time of the study, 70% of beneficiaries in school were pursuing a bachelor’s degree or higher.

Since undocumented students are barred from accessing federal funding, many DACA recipients were only able to reach college thanks to programs like Dream.US, an organization that has awarded more than 3,000 high-achieving Dreamers with college scholarships.

With the end of DACA, this group’s future in the U.S. remains uncertain. But college and university presidents won't stay silent. In honor of “Dreaming for the Future: Dreamers and Higher Education Week,” several presidents have joined Dream.US's social media campaign to share strong messages of support of Dreamers.

See some of the messages of support below, and follow along on social media with #HereToLearn.

Get involved

Are you a student or faculty of a university that supports Dreamers? Find out how to add your voice to the Dreamers and Higher Education campaign. Learn more.

Looking for a way to support Dreamers today? Call Congress and urge them to pass the DREAM Act. Learn more.

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