Roberto Alonso
Staff Writer
Students, faculty, and staff at Dominican University were anxiously waiting last week for President Trump’s decision about DACA to be announced.
Donald Trump has been threatening to rescind DACA, removing protection for young adults who were brought into the United States as children without authorization.
This rollback could affect students across the country, including as many as 100 to 200 students at Dominican, according to Father Brendan Curran, Special Assistant to the President.
Similar to the DREAM Act, the purpose of DACA, or the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, is giving undocumented students who enter the United States as minors a renewable period of protection from deportation. It was established in 2012 through executive order by then President, Barack Obama. Unlike the DREAM Act, DACA doesn’t grant students citizenship, it merely grants them a sanctuary of sorts.
Fourth year student, Jacqueline Romo had her doubts about the program from the very beginning. She has been continuing her education while simultaneously fighting for her rights and those of other DACA students.
Romo clearly recognized its limits, saying it was a “band-aid” to fix what the DREAM Act could not.
“Trump is very unpredictable — anything can happen,” said Dominican senior Adriana Espinoza. She has been protected by DACA and has been nervous ever since Donald Trump was elected president.
Lisa Petrov, assistant professor at Dominican and Director of Latin & Latino American Studies Minor, agrees and states that this was from the beginning, an “obvious concern”.
However, there is support at the local and state level.
River Forest adopted a resolution on Aug. 21st to become a “welcoming village” after a suggestion by Dominican University administrators. In the villages that have adopted this resolution, undocumented individuals are protected.
On Aug. 25, Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner signed into law the TRUST Act, which will “prevent law enforcement officials across the state from detaining individuals based solely on their immigration status.”
In 2016, Dominican University adopted a resolution to equally protect all students. Faculty and administration say Dominican is a safe place and that DACA students don’t have to face it alone.
Petrov advices that the university, along with the village of River Forest, need to come together to form a “community of allies.”
“It’s important that students are informed of the problem that DACA students face, that they be supportive,” Espinoza says.
Dominican held an Undocumented Students Webinar on, Sept.1, for faculty and staff to discuss possible ways to better inform students and to protect DACA students. Wright College is holding an event called Chicagoland HSI Symposium Committing to Equity and Inclusive Excellence on Sept.15 as a post decision meeting to discuss best practices for DACA. Dominican’s own, Dr. Sheila Radford-Hill will be speaking, and Special Assistant to the President, Father Brendan Curran will be in attendance.
The Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion has a list of immigrant resources on the Dominican website to help inform anyone who needs it. Father Brendan Curran and the Wellness Center are available to anyone who need support.
Petrov voiced that the students who are a part of DACA trusted the U.S. government to protect them and to allow them the opportunity to further their education and in return, the government has “betrayed that trust”. She also encourages anyone in doubt and afraid of the future of DACA to, “keep your chin up.”
alonrobe@my.dom.edu