We stand with the Dreamers

A new ruling by a federal judge in Texas has created yet more uncertainty and anxiety for Dreamers — beneficiaries of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which shields undocumented people brought to the United States as children from deportation. This latest ruling holds that the program is unlawful due to President Obama exceeding his authority by creating the program by executive order. While we are disappointed by this ruling and continue to call on the U.S. Senate to follow the U.S. House’s lead and pass legislation to protect the Dreamers, our commitment to our DACA students remains unchanged.

Since its inception, DACA has been challenged in various courts and its fate has often been uncertain. But no matter what becomes of the program, we have and will continue to welcome and support our DACA students, ensuring that they continue to have access to affordable and outstanding learning opportunities. Our DACA students, staff and faculty are a vital part of our campus community, and they enrich the lives of their classmates and colleagues, showing up again and again as effective student and community leaders and contributors.

To our DACA community members, we understand the profound and distressing impact of this ruling on you and your families. Please know that the University of Washington will do everything we can to protect your safety and to ensure that you continue to have access to everything you need to be successful in your work and learning. We stand with you, and we are stronger together.