Resources for DACA and Undocumented Students

This guides provides information for DACA and undocumented students. 

Dominican University is, has been, and will continue to be a sanctuary campus. Our commitment to being an inclusive campus for undocumented students and any and all students targeted by those in power facilitates the inclusion of all members of our wonderfully diverse student body. Read Dominican's full statement here.  

This LibGuide was created through collaboration between Rebecca Crown Librarians and Dominican's student group Undocumented & Immigrant Allyance (UIA). If you are interested in getting involved, go to UIA's Facebook page, Instagram, or EngageDU.

You can also contact them here. 

Center for Cultural Liberation DU Ministry Faculty Resources

Statement from President Joe Biden on the Anniversary of DACA (June 15th, 2023)

Eleven years ago on this day, President Obama and I announced the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program to allow young people to live and work in the only country they’ve called home. Since then, DACA has provided more than 800,000 Dreamers the ability to work lawfully, pursue an education, and contribute their immense skills and talents to better our communities.

 
Dreamers are Americans. Many have spent the majority of their lives in the United States. They are our doctors, our teachers, and our small business owners. Dreamers strengthen our economy, enrich our workplaces, and during the COVID-19 pandemic, many served their communities on the frontlines.
 
The first version of the Dream Act was introduced to Congress by Senator Dick Durbin and former Republican Senator Orrin Hatch more than twenty years ago. Since then, the bill has been championed by bipartisan coalitions of lawmakers, business and educational leaders and organizations, and the overwhelming majority of the American public. But at each opportunity, Congress has failed to act.
 
My Administration is committed to providing Dreamers the opportunities and support they need to succeed. That’s why in April I announced a plan to expand health coverage for DACA recipients, and directed the Department of Homeland Security to “preserve and fortify” DACA.
 
While Vice President Harris and I will continue fighting to pass legislation to protect Dreamers and create a path to citizenship, only Congress can provide permanent and lasting stability for these young people and their families. Congress must act to protect our Dreamers.

Response to Department of Homeland Security vs. Regents of the University of California (In Support of Undocumented Students)

June 24, 2020

It was almost 15 years ago that Dominican University first began providing academic and financial support for undocumented students.  Those early efforts to advance immigration reform were single-minded and optimistic.  Today, the response of the academic community to the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) is more complicated.

SCOTUS’ decision to block the rescinding of DACA provides enormous relief, hope, and continuing opportunities for thousands of young adults, for which we are all deeply grateful.  And, we are especially proud of the advocacy of Dominican students and alumnae/i in this regard.  But, the Court’s ruling is a procedural one, not an endorsement, and its impact is temporary, which means that the pathway to citizenship for alternatively documented and undocumented students remains unpaved.

Still, the current momentum for change is hopeful.  The diverse and increasingly unified voices of the anti-racism movement rightfully take us to task for our lack of progress — and demand an end to discriminatory practices in education, healthcare, housing, employment, and the like.

Dominican University seeks to be a leader in this equity journey -- to more aggressively reform its offerings so that a Dominican education is inclusive and excellent for all students, as outlined in our strategic plan and in the action steps of our Sanctuary Campus Covenant.  We will continue to vigorously support our undocumented students and advocate for constructive immigration reform.

Ultimately, it is the tenacity and drive of thoughtful, courageous students that is at the heart of all this.  As Dominican higher educators, our charge is threefold -- to consistently challenge issues of systemic injustice, to encourage the rigorous study of these issues, and to provide students with the understanding, space and empathy to take action.

Interested in joining or collaborating with the UIA? Contact them here.