The presidents of George Mason University, Georgetown University, Montgomery College, and Northern Virginia Community College have penned a joint op-ed calling on Congress to pass legislation to protect undocumented immigrant youth and students, writing that “we believe, as presidents of colleges and universities, it is imperative that we protect these young people through the passage of the DREAM Act...we cannot ignore the joy they bring to our communities and the degree to which we are strengthened by their presence”:
They have grown up here in America. They’ve gone to grade school, middle school and high school with our children. They are student body presidents, medical students and doctoral candidates. Some serve in high school ROTC and volunteer in their churches. Others help single parents raising younger siblings and tutor their peers as they prepare for college. They are members of our communities. They have done all the things we expect of our young people, and for their efforts so many have been able to earn places on our college campuses. They want — and deserve — the chance to continue learning and living in America without the constant fear of deportation.
The Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. area is home to approximately 23,000 DACA recipients, and “almost half of all DACA recipients are in school or pursuing a college degree,” according to the op-ed. Nationally, one survey estimates that 45 percent of DACA recipients are in school, with 72 percent of those pursuing a bachelor’s degree or higher. “A robust 94 percent said that, because of DACA, ‘I pursued educational opportunities that I previously could not.’”
Undocumented immigrant youth aren’t just tomorrow’s leaders, they’ve already been leading for years, and our nation should embrace them on paper, not kick them out of the only home they’ve ever known.
“Colleges and universities are about opportunity and the pursuit of each and every student's version of the American dream,” George Mason president Ángel Cabrera, Georgetown president John DeGioia, Montgomery president DeRionne Pollard, and Northern Virginia Community College president Scott Ralls continue. “No matter who they are — or where they came from — every student deserves an equal shot at success”:
Across our nation, our higher education community is coming together in support of our Dreamers. This week, the American Council on Education and colleges and universities around the country are contributing their voices to a national campaign: “Higher Education Week” in support of Protecting Dreamers. To launch this week, our institutions — which represent public and private as well as two- and four-year institutions in Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C. — have come together to reflect on the invaluable presence of these students on our campuses.
“These young people belong here,” the presidents continue. “They have played by our rules since the day they arrived as minors with their parents. They have done everything we could expect of them. They have earned their places on our campuses. They are poised to contribute to the future of our nation. We have the capacity, and responsibility, as a nation to provide a permanent bipartisan legislative solution.”