Eastern joins amicus brief in support of DACA program

Willimantic, CT (02/01/2024) — On Feb. 1, Eastern Connecticut State University joined 168 colleges and universities nationwide in support of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program by endorsing an amicus brief filed in the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals for Texas v. United States. This "friend of the court" brief was coordinated by the Presidents' Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration and TheDream.US.

The amicus brief highlights recent data showing how DACA has enabled recipients to graduate from college and become a vital and positive force in the U.S. economy. It argues that DACA recipients graduating from college match or outperform their peers on key metrics and are making significant contributions to important economic sectors, including healthcare and education. It also argues that the program enables recipients to achieve social mobility and to better support their families. Finally, the brief outlines the blow that DACA's end would have on institutions of higher education.

Read the full brief here: https://www.presidentsalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/FS-Final-Texas-v-United-States-Amicus.pdf

"Eastern is currently home to and has previously graduated hundreds of DACA students through our partnership with TheDream.US," said Eastern President Elsa Nunez. "In addition to being strong academically, our TheDream.US scholars are highly engaged on campus and major contributors to our local community at large, volunteering with a variety of non-profit organizations in the Windham area.

"I made the decision to join the amicus brief on behalf of Eastern to stand in solidarity with our talented and valued DACA students," said Nunez, adding that Eastern's DACA graduates have gone on to excel at Harvard Medical, Stanford Law, Cornell School of Business and other prestigious institutions. "It is critical for us to visibly demonstrate our unwavering support for those members of our campus community who are directly affected by the challenges facing DACA. Joining this effort is a way for us to showcase our commitment to fostering an inclusive and supportive environment at Eastern."

Since 2012, DACA has provided work authorization and protection from deportation to more than 800,000 undocumented individuals who were brought to the United States as young children. Proponents of the program argue that it enables recipients to better support themselves and their families financially by enabling them to build careers and access higher education.

The brief emphasizes that if the DACA program is rescinded, thousands of recipients will lose their ability to work and study legally, as they will be forced from their jobs and subject to immediate deportation. Amicus brief signatories stress that the Fifth Circuit court must reinstate the program in its entirety while Congress acts to establish lasting legislative solutions.

Background on the Fifth Circuit case: On Sept. 13, 2023, U.S. District Judge Hanen found that the Biden Administration rule issued in 2022 that formalized DACA was unlawful. On Nov. 9, 2023, the Biden Administration and Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) filed appeals in the case.