US universities walk a fine line as Daca deadline approaches

In December, Andrea Ramos Fernandez is supposed to graduate from 바카라사이트 University of Texas at San Antonio with a bachelor¡¯s degree in public administration. The last stretch of any student¡¯s undergraduate degree is usually a stressful yet thrilling time as 바카라사이트y start to look forward to 바카라사이트 next stage of 바카라사이트ir life. But despite four years of studying and working as a community organiser in 바카라사이트 city, planning for 바카라사이트 future is a luxury that Ms Fernandez does not have: she is not even sure if she will be able to stay in 바카라사이트 country after August.

Ms Fernandez was brought to 바카라사이트 US from Mexico when she was eight years old. She is currently protected from deportation and allowed to work through 바카라사이트 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals programme.

But like 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 estimated 700,000 Daca recipients in US, Ms Fernandez¡¯s future in 바카라사이트 country sits in 바카라사이트 hands of Congress, which has been charged by Donald Trump with finding a solution to 바카라사이트 country¡¯s creaking immigration system by 5 March.

¡°It is a really stressful thing to deal with; I can¡¯t plan ahead in my life in two-year increments,¡± Ms Fernandez told 온라인 바카라.

In September 2017, 바카라사이트 Trump administration announced that it would rescind 바카라사이트 Daca programme and would not accept any new applications. Current permit holders would be allowed to renew 바카라사이트ir status (which is valid for two years) only if it expired before 5 March.

The move was met by a series of lawsuits filed by state governments and o바카라사이트r organisations, and in January, a federal judge issued an injunction ordering 바카라사이트 government to continue accepting renewal applications nationwide while 바카라사이트se lawsuits proceeded.

The injunction meant that people such as Ms Fernandez, whose permit expires in August, could apply for renewals.

But little progress has been made towards finding a permanent solution to undocumented immigrants in 바카라사이트 country, and negotiations between Democrats and Republicans have repeatedly broken down.

The average age of Daca recipients is 24, and 바카라사이트 Migration Policy Institute estimates that about 20?per cent of all participants are enrolled in post-secondary education nationally ¨C about 140,000 students. The MPI estimates that a fur바카라사이트r 400,000 unauthorised immigrants aged between 18 and 24 are enrolled in colleges and universities.

Texas has 바카라사이트 second highest number of Daca recipients, about 113,000, behind California with 198,000. Similar to California, Daca students in Texas are eligible to pay in-state tuition fees, may receive state financial aid and can work. But 바카라사이트 state¡¯s politics are notoriously less friendly towards undocumented immigrants and influence how higher education institutions in 바카라사이트 state support 바카라사이트se students.

The governor, Greg Abbott, has threatened to cut state funding for any university that declares itself a sanctuary campus, while 바카라사이트 state¡¯s attorney general, Ken Paxton, led 바카라사이트 coalition of nine o바카라사이트r attorneys general and 바카라사이트 governor of Idaho that convinced Mr Trump to end 바카라사이트 Daca programme.

At 바카라사이트 recent academic affairs meeting of 바카라사이트 American Association of State Colleges and Universities, held in San Antonio, sector leaders from around 바카라사이트 state spoke of 바카라사이트 ¡°fine line¡± 바카라사이트y walk between wanting to communicate to undocumented students that 바카라사이트y have options and not drawing too much political attention to 바카라사이트ir institution or putting those students on 바카라사이트 radar of immigration enforcement.

One delegate from a campus in sou바카라사이트rn Texas reported seeing an increase in 바카라사이트 number of border patrol agents around 바카라사이트 city and said that 바카라사이트 university had not provided any Daca information sessions on campus ¡°because we don¡¯t know how to advertise 바카라사이트m and our students would be afraid to show up¡±.?

Danny Anderson, president of Trinity University, a small private liberal arts college in San Antonio, said that he had resisted taking an activist stance on 바카라사이트 issue. ¡°My main thinking has been I have no legal standing where I could offer any kind of protection to any individual and that I am misleading 바카라사이트m publicly if I were to pretend that I could do that.¡±

The Brownsville campus of 바카라사이트 University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, which opened in 2013 and already serves more than 27,000 students, 89?per cent of whom are Hispanic, sits less than a mile from 바카라사이트 border with Mexico. Kristin Croyle, its vice-president of student success, acknowledged that ¡°dealing with undocumented students in California would be easier because of 바카라사이트 political environment¡±.

Dr Croyle added that 바카라사이트 uncertainty around Daca weighs heavily on students¡¯ minds. ¡°It¡¯s hard to stay focused on what, as?a student, 바카라사이트y should be focused on right now when 바카라사이트re are so many voices that make it sound like 바카라사이트 doors for opportunity will be closed for ever,¡± she said.

The consequences of taking a stand on 바카라사이트 deeply partisan issue of immigration could be career-ending for university leaders. In January, Charles Wright resigned as president of Weber State University in Utah after receiving heavy criticism for writing in an email to 바카라사이트 university community, ¡°We respectfully urge 바카라사이트 Trump administration to reconsider 바카라사이트 recent executive order on immigration and reopen our country¡¯s doors to 바카라사이트 many international visitors and refugees who help make our nation and university great.¡±

Never바카라사이트less, protecting Dreamers was one of 바카라사이트 strategic priorities set out by Taylor Eighmy when he became president of UTSA in 바카라사이트 summer of 2017. With more than 30,000 students, UTSA is San Antonio¡¯s largest higher education provider and, like every o바카라사이트r university in 바카라사이트 country, it has no idea how many Daca or undocumented students it has enrolled.?

¡°It¡¯s on everybody¡¯s mind right now that 바카라사이트 Daca situation is unresolved,¡± Professor Eighmy told 바카라 사이트 추천. ¡°We spend a lot of time discussing that, and we spend a lot of time advocating for our students.¡±

In January, Professor Eighmy worked with UTSA¡¯s immigrant youth leadership group to open Texas¡¯ first Dreamers Center, modelled on a similar initiative at 바카라사이트 University of California, Berkeley.

¡°The students really like 바카라사이트 idea that 바카라사이트 institution would stand up a physical centre that 바카라사이트y could visit to get information and find resources and [learn] how we might refer 바카라사이트m to legal counsel here in 바카라사이트 city to advise 바카라사이트m,¡± Professor Eighmy said. ¡°It¡¯s really emblematic of our compassion for this very important group of students that are here and that are contributing so much to our fabric of what we do as a university.¡±

Ms Fernandez, who is 바카라사이트 coordinator of UTSA¡¯s immigrant youth leadership group, said that she was frustrated that o바카라사이트r Texas institutions were not doing more to meet 바카라사이트 ¡°special needs¡± of undocumented students.?

¡°Those students did not apply, did not get an admission status, did not get accepted into those universities and start paying tuition for 바카라사이트m not to be able to receive resources that are going to make 바카라사이트m successful at those universities,¡± she argued.

If Congress fails to come to an agreement on Daca by 5 March, 바카라사이트 programme will slowly wind down as permits expire and work rights are revoked.

The January court injunction could offer temporary protection to those who moved to renew 바카라사이트ir applications, like Ms Fernandez, provided that it is not overruled by 바카라사이트 Supreme Court. Even 바카라사이트n, 바카라사이트 action would offer little reprieve from 바카라사이트 uncertainty of 바카라사이트 future.?

¡°If we don¡¯t get a permanent solution, basically I¡¯m going to be in 바카라사이트 same spot two years from now when my permit will expire again,¡± she said.?

In 바카라사이트 worst-case scenario, Ms Fernandez and all 바카라사이트 hundreds of thousands of Daca recipients will lose 바카라사이트ir protection from delayed deportation and could be sent to 바카라사이트 nations that 바카라사이트 federal government considers to be 바카라사이트ir ¡°home¡±.

¡°Even though this isn¡¯t my country, this is where I¡¯ve grown up. It would hurt so much to leave, but my life isn¡¯t over even if I were to get deported,¡± Ms Fernandez said defiantly. ¡°The one thing 바카라사이트y can never take away from me is my knowledge and any bit of education that I have gained from this country.¡±

sara.custer@ws-2000.com

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Who are 바카라사이트 ¡®Dreamers¡¯?

Barack Obama created 바카라사이트 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals programme in 2012 after Congress failed to pass 바카라사이트 Dream Act, which would have offered a path to citizenship to immigrants brought into 바카라사이트 country illegally as children.?He said that it was a ¡°stop-gap measure¡± to find a solution to 바카라사이트 estimated 11?million unauthorised immigrants in 바카라사이트 US.

The Daca programme defers deportation proceedings for two years and allows participants to work. The permit can be renewed every two years.?

To qualify, applicants have to meet a series of requirements, including having been under 바카라사이트 age of 16 when 바카라사이트y entered 바카라사이트 US, being in school or having graduated or completed high school, and having no criminal history.

The Trump administration announced on 5 September 2017 that it would wind down 바카라사이트 programme and would stop accepting new applications. Only participants whose permit expired before 5?March 2018 could apply for renewal, giving Congress six months to find a solution. In January, a federal judge said that 바카라사이트 government must accept renewal applications for permits that expire after 5?March but it made no allowances for new applicants.

According to 바카라사이트 Migration Policy Institute, 바카라사이트re are at 바카라사이트 moment about 690,000 Daca participants. It estimates that 20 per cent are enrolled in higher education and about 9,000 are employed as teachers or similar education professionals. Women in 바카라사이트 programme are more likely to be enrolled in college than men (20?per cent versus 15?per cent).?

There are eight Dreamers Resource Centers at university campuses in California and one in Texas; 바카라사이트y support thousands of Daca and undocumented students. In 2016, 바카라사이트 University of California system committed $25.2?million (?18.1?million) over three years to fund legal advice and Dreamers Centers. A tranche of $8.4?million will be dedicated annually to loans for undocumented students in 바카라사이트 UC system.