The University of California today (Sept. 12) sent a letter to the UC community containing guidance for students and other community members who are in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
The letter, signed by UC President Janet Napolitano and all 10 UC chancellors, strongly urges DACA recipients whose permits are set to expire between Sept. 5, 2017 and March 5, 2018, to apply for a two-year renewal. Applications for renewal must be completed by Oct. 5, 2017.
The letter reads, in part, “With fewer than 30 days before this deadline, we encourage everyone whose DACA permit expires in the next six months to act quickly. And please share this renewal application deadline with others who could benefit.”
Even if DACA is phased out permanently next year, UC maintains that applying for a renewal is the best opportunity for members of the UC community to obtain two more years of protection against deportation and legal authorization to work.
The letter also encourages every member of the UC community who currently has DACA to discuss their circumstances with immigration counsel and notes that the UC Immigrant Legal Services Center is available to assist undocumented students. There will also be workshops scheduled on every campus to assist UC students with renewal applications.
UC has approximately 4,000 undocumented students, a substantial number of whom have DACA, as well as teachers, researchers and health care providers who are DACA recipients. UC is working on many fronts to ensure that protections continue for those in our community who, in good faith, joined the DACA program.
Last Friday, the University of California filed suit in federal court against the Trump administration for wrongly and unconstitutionally violating the rights of the University and its students by rescinding the DACA program. The lawsuit asks the court to set aside the Trump administration’s rescission of DACA because it is “unconstitutional, unjust, and unlawful.”