Today, the Supreme Court begins its oral arguments about the status of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
I want to restate my strong opposition to the decision to end this program and continued support for Dreamers, here and across the nation.
Over the past year, UW-Madison has shared its views on DACA with members of Congress, colleagues in the Association of American Universities (AAU), the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) and other organizations. As a member of AAU and APLU, UW supported the positions advanced in a joint amicus or “friend of the court” filing along with dozens of higher ed organizations.
In the amicus brief, the organizations emphasize the importance of the policy, which has made it “possible for countless Dreamers to get a postsecondary education and unlock the potential such an education affords.”
The brief argues that rescinding DACA would broadcast to students from around the globe a message of exclusion and could “irreparably damage the reputation of America’s higher education system in the eyes of the world.”
Wisconsin’s Attorney General separately joined the amicus brief of the Nevada Attorney General’s Office filed with the U.S. Supreme Court in support of maintaining DACA.
We continue to provide support on this and related issues for members of the campus community. An FAQ specific to this topic has been established. For mental health support and assistance processing these events, students are encouraged to connect with University Health Services. For any further questions, contact the Dean of Students Office.
Lastly, I want to reiterate our values, which guide our student interactions:
- UW-Madison will not provide information on immigration status of its students, faculty or staff unless required to do so by law.
- UW Police Department will not participate in immigration enforcement actions conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers (ICE).
- ICE officers must use appropriate legal processes if they are on campus and would like to contact individual students about enforcement-related issues.
We will be watching these proceedings closely and await the Court’s decision in 2020 in hopes of a positive resolution for all those affected.