UC leaders to Congress: Protect the nation’s Dreamers
University of California officials have sent an urgent appeal to California’s congressional delegation, pressing them to take the lead in building bipartisan support for legislation to protect the nation’s Dreamers.
In an Oct. 16 letter to California’s congressional delegation, UC President Janet Napolitano and all 10 UC chancellors said the issue is of critical importance to the state and the university. There are roughly 220,000 DACA permit-holders in California. UC has approximately 4,000 undocumented students, a substantial number of whom have DACA.
“UC Dreamers represent the very best of our country — they are role models to their peers and critical to our nation’s progress,” Napolitano and the chancellors wrote. “To strip them of DACA will upend their lives and the lives of their families and puts their ability to continue their educational pursuits at substantial risk.”
UC also filed a lawsuit in federal court that seeks to block DACA’s rescission. The case is expected to have its first hearing in December.
Read more here.
KJ