Student leaders to Trump: DACA repeal ‘a war on students’
Student leaders across the country are banding together in support of their illegal-immigrant peers as President Trump considers repealing Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
In a letter signed by more than 60 student body presidents representing roughly 841,000 of America’s college students, the “student leaders of America’s great colleges and universities” make their case for upholding DACA, even noting that they are prepared to meet with the new president.
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“More than 700,000 people, Americans raised and educated in the United States, have benefited from Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and among them are many talented, law-abiding students and alumni who are actively contributing to their communities and to our society,” declares the letter, a copy of which was obtained by Campus Reform, before making an economic case for preserving DACA.
“The more than a million international students in the U.S. contribute over $35 billion to the economy and support over 400,000 jobs,” the letter asserts, then goes on to label Trump’s anticipated crackdown on illegal immigration a “war on students.”
“We urge you not to waste valuable and limited political capital waging what will quickly be branded a war on students and laying waste this country’s world renowned institutions of higher education,” the students leaders write, adding that they are “prepared to meet with you to make our case.”
Oddly, the letter concludes with a backhanded slight at Trump, mentioning his low approval ratings and loss of the popular vote.
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“While you lost the popular vote and are entering office with one of the lowest approval ratings of any president, you did win the election and it’s still not too late to earn a true mandate by rejecting the divisive rhetoric and policy proposals of the campaign and uniting the country around your leadership,” the letter concludes. “We urge you to do so.”
At press time, 62 student body presidents—including those representing such prestigious institutions such as Stanford University, Princeton University, and Purdue University—had signed the letter, which was created by the undergraduate student president of Clark University, Cory Bisbee.
Campus Reform reached out to Bisbee for comment on his letter, but did not receive a response in time for publication.
Follow the author of this article on Twitter: @AGockowski
