Campus, News

Supreme Court votes to defend DACA

The Supreme Court voted Thursday to block President Trump’s attempt to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

In a 5-4 vote, the court ruled that the Trump administration violated federal law when attempting to end DACA.

This ruling protects recipients from being deported and comes as a major victory for undocumented individuals who were brought to the United States as children.

“The decision by the Supreme Court of the United States to reject the rescission of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program is a truly outstanding and welcome outcome, especially for the nearly 700,000 DACA recipients nationwide, including thousands of students and employees of the California State University,” California State University Chancellor Timothy P. White said.

According to President Jane Close Conoley, Long Beach State continues to offer resources in favor of students, faculty and staff who are Dreamers, including immigration legal services, support from the Dream Success Center and on-campus counseling and health services.

“DACA provides work permits and protection from deportation for hundreds of thousands of hardworking, law-abiding, and tax-paying individuals who strengthen our nation through their professional contributions as teachers, physicians, nurses, lawyers, and scientists,” Conoley said in an email. “We remain steadfastly committed to enabling the continued academic and personal success of our undocumented communities and to securing permanent relief for every stuednt who aspires to citizenship.”

CSULB’s Dream Success Center offers services and resources to undocumented students on campus, including advising and wellness support, legal advice, financial aid guidance, and access to technology.

“I feel relieved that we finally have a decision in place, it’s an exciting win, although there’s definitely a lot more work to do,” said Norma Salcedo, director of the Dream Student Success Center. “Congress needs to act swiftly to create a pathway to citizenship that is more inclusive and is broader than just DACA.”

According to Salcedo, the Dream Success Center supports all students, regardless of immigration status.

“We will continue to expand our services in different ways and work with the university to ensure that we’re not the only space that [undocumented students] have for support,” Salcedo said. “We will continue to support them in their academic and personal success as much as we can.”

Beth Lesen, Vice President of Student Affairs, feels the Supreme Court’s decision is a victory for CSULB students. 

“We still need a path for Dreamers to secure permanent citizenship, but today is a day to celebrate for its impact on millions of families,” Lesen said. 

According to White, the CSU system hopes Congress will enact legislative change in favor of Dreamers.

“While this decision is an important victory, it does not protect the program from further challenge, nor does it provide a permanent solution to allow our Dreamers to achieve their aspirational goals,” White said.

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  1. Pingback: Trump administration rejects new DACA applicants, ignores Supreme Court ruling - Daily Forty-Niner

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