Raven Lirio; News Writer; liriorv@plu.edu
March 5 marked the deadline on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) implemented by the Trump administration this past fall. Thousands of immigrants held their breaths as President Trump called the Supreme Court to act, and in an unexpected turn of events, the Court ruled to extend the debate—further delaying the deadline set for earlier this month.
On Monday, February 26, the Supreme Court chose to deny the administrative request of bypassing lower courts, leaving lawmakers stunned. This appeal, which would have allowed for the DACA conversation to pass directly into the Supreme Court, would have sped up the process in determining what is to become of the over 700,000 undocumented students that are currently residing in the United States.
DACA is a program started by the Obama Administration in an effort to support undocumented students brought into the United States by their parents at a young age. Students have to pass a background check and pay two years’ worth of permit fees before being able to live and work legally within the U.S. Many students across the U.S., and specifically at PLU, rely on DACA to help ensure the safety of their future within the states.
This Supreme Court decision is only temporary. It does not mark the end of this discussion, but it does give politicians something they did not anticipate—time. This looming deadline spells bad news for lawmakers as stated in a CNN interview with Republican Sen. John Cornyn. Cornyn confessed in reference to Congress that “We do well when we have more time. We need a deadline and we need to act.”
In contrast, the ruling shines a light of hope to many students protected under DACA laws who can potentially renew their permits over the deadline extension. This delay allows for more advocacy towards supporting DACA students in their plight of potentially being forcibly removed by lawmakers. Students everywhere already struggle to afford tuition on top of their studies, so the tentative removal of DACA adds an additional pressure on to students who don’t need it in their already stressful lives. With time now on their side, DACA students and supporters have greater hopes of convincing lawmakers to reconsider their views on how DACA benefits not only the students, but all of America as a whole.
Undocumented students work just as hard as anyone to make a difference in the world. Why should these hard-working individuals be condemned if they are contributing to the growth of our economy? In fact, why should children have to prove their own self-worth just to remain in a country they consider home? DACA students have the same rights as everyone else to be treated with proper respect and should not be told they cannot have a future based on their immigration status.
DACA provides opportunities for undocumented students to continue their own paths without the fear of deportation. We should not be holding students accountable for a decision that was completely out of their control. Instead, we should focus on the contributions that these students make to society as a whole. DACA students, like all students, are our future doctors, lawyers, artists and dreamers. Regardless of immigration status, students are what makes our society.
Students are working to make a better future for all; we are the ones that make America great. How can we make our country “great again” if we fail to recognize that the future lies in the hands of students like ourselves? Cutting DACA would be counterproductive as we would be throwing out our fellow students who are only doing the best they can to create a brighter future for generations to come.
With immigration reform a continual problem, it is understandable why these topics are at the forefront of political discussion. However, targeting students that have done nothing but work in this country—for this country—is not the way to move forward. We should instead focus on finding ways to support our future generations and our students so that they may fix the problems of generations past.
While the DACA decision still looms over our heads, we have been granted the time to reflect on what is truly important. Congress needs to decide for themselves if the removal of innocent students is what will really help our country.
Why are we turning our backs on students and children who only wish to serve this country that they call home? While Congress continues to flounder for solutions, we should make a stand as students to protect one another and work for a greater tomorrow.
