Dear Students,
Last week, a federal judge in Texas ruled that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program is illegal, effectively stopping the President’s attempts to codify the program into federal regulations. While this news was initially alarming and upsetting, here are some key facts to be aware of, according to an article from NBC News:
- While the judge ruled that the federal government's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program is illegal, but he refrained from taking action to remove protections for the hundreds of thousands of young immigrants shielded under DACA.
- While the roughly 580,000 current recipients can continue to renew their DACA status every two years, the program is closed for new applicants.
- The latest ruling "continues to allow DACA recipients to file renewal applications while the case is pending appeal,” said Andrea Senteno, the regional counsel at the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, better known as MALDEF.
- DACA recipients won't lose their status as long as they continue to renew their DACA in a timely manner. Current recipients or those whose DACA status expired less than a year ago can continue to renew it every two years.
- The judge’s ruling will be appealed, and ultimately it is expected that the case will be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court.
I want to be clear to our students, staff, faculty, and the entire Madera County community that Madera Community College and State Center Community College District are united in our support for our DACA students and their families. As we always have, we will continue to provide them with the resources and support that they need to thrive in the classroom, and ensure that they always feel welcomed and supported by their fellow students, faculty, and staff at Madera Community College.
Thanks,
Ángel Reyna, Ed.D.
President
