AFT’s Weingarten Responds to DACA Repeal
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WASHINGTON—American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten released the following statement on President Trump’s decision to terminate the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program that protects more than 800,000 young, undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children:
“The young people covered by DACA are woven into our communities—learning in, working in, defending and contributing to the country that is their home. Offering protection to DACAmented immigrants was done based on the understanding that America is stronger when we value people and create opportunity to achieve the American dream, regardless of demography or geography.
“President Trump made a promise that he would treat Dreamers with ‘great heart.’ Now, for seemingly political reasons, he is breaking his promise to students, teachers, doctors, nurses and lawyers who took him at his word. This is not the America I know—an America that says one thing to its citizens and then does another. Betraying DACA Dreamers is betraying the values of our diverse and welcoming nation. America will not be stronger or more secure when these young people are torn away from the country they love and call their own. America will be diminished—and the toll will be measured by families ripped apart, people cast into the shadows and into poverty, businesses upended, economies weakened and dreams shattered.
“As children return to school, many carry with them constant, crippling terror and uncertainty because of their immigration status. Children should be free to learn and live without fear. Inhumane immigration policies deprive them of that freedom.
“President Trump has an opportunity to lead on this issue. The time has come for the president and Congress to offer comprehensive solutions to our broken immigration system. We must defend DACA now, but we know the enduring work is to provide pathways to citizenship for millions of students, families and neighbors working and living alongside us, which includes passing the bipartisan Dream Act of 2017.
“The AFT will continue to fight to protect undocumented students, refugees, individuals with temporary protective status, and their families from the threat of deportation. A nation built by immigrants should welcome those in pursuit of the American dream, not pull up the ladder behind us.”
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NATIONAL NEWS
Education leaders condemn Trump’s DACA move
Education leaders have condemned President Trump’s decision to wind down the DACA program in six months, warning the move will disrupt the lives of hundreds of thousands of students. Daniel A. Domenech, executive director of the National Association Of School Superintendents, said his members are “concerned by the uncertainty today’s announcement brings, not only to our students and their families, but also our broader schools and communities.” Randi Weingarten, president of theAmerican Federation for Teachers, said: “Betraying DACA dreamers is betraying the values of our diverse and welcoming nation.” California’s Supt. of Public Instruction. Tom Torlakson, has called the decision “mean-spirited”, adding “Our country made an honest deal with these students - study hard, earn your degree and you will get a fair chance to compete for college. We should keep deals, not break them.” Meanwhile, some California colleges and K-12 school districts are stepping up their legal and counseling teams in the wake of the decision. U.C. Riverside is considering using its legal resources in case their students’ protected status is threatened. “We’ll certainly engage our university attorneys in a review of the change in policy,” said the school's vice chancellor Jim Sandoval. Los Angeles USD said its campuses will still be “safe zones” for immigrants and their families and that the district won’t allow immigration enforcement agents on campuses without an OK from district officials.
Educators vow to keep helping dreamers
President Trump is today expected to tell the nation that he is phasing out the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) programs, which grants permission for almost 800,000 undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children to either work or go to school. In recent months, the Post notes, some 640 college and university presidents across the U.S. have signed a statement urging federal authorities to maintain DACA, while in California, which has over 200,000 undocumented students enrolled in schools, the most in any U.S. state, education leaders have even created rapid response teams offering legal support and sent supportive messages to families.
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