Today the White House announced that it will terminate the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. This program, put in place during the Obama Administration, enables undocumented young people—sometimes called “Dreamers,” in reference to the American Dream—to stay in the United States and pursue higher education.
Winona State University is committed to being an inclusive and welcoming community, and I have personally been part of a national lobbying effort encouraging the White House to continue the program, so I am discouraged by this result. It is not yet clear how this will be rolled out or what it might mean for our community.
We will continue to monitor developments closely, and will endeavor to serve all students to the best of our abilities while we learn the details and implications of this new policy. Because WSU does not collect data related to DACA status, we don’t know how many students here may be affected. But as I said in my campus address on the first day of fall semester, it is our duty at Winona State not only to deliver excellence but to extend its reach so that qualified dreamers of any background can continue to dream.
Sincerely,
Scott R. Olson
President
Statement of Interim Chancellor Devinder Malhotra regarding DACA
At Minnesota State, our core commitments include opening the doors of educational opportunity and ensuring access to an extraordinary education for all Minnesotans. The diversity of our campus communities is a key strength – one that makes us who we are and allows our state colleges and universities to play the critical role they do. Read More…
