Berkeley backs illegal students as SCOTUS hears DACA arguments
University of California Berkeley Chancellor Carol Christ sent a university-wide email Tuesday expressing support for the public university’s population of illegal immigrant students, and offering “counseling services and community spaces on campus.”
The email was in anticipation of Tuesday’s Supreme Court oral arguments for the case Department of Homeland Security v. Regents of the University of California. The subject matter of the case surrounds the Trump Administration’s recension of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
The University of California appeared before the court to argue that “the Trump administration acted unlawfully when it decided to rescind” the program created by executive order under former President Barack Obama.
Even though oral arguments occurred this week, the court is not expected to deliver its final decision until the spring or summer 2020.
[RELATED: Calif. governor gives more aid to DACA students]
While the case is pending, Christ and the University of California-Berkeley administration is offering information on not only the case, but also the immigration process and different statuses, as well as “support for undocumented students, academic and employment status, where to find counseling services and community spaces on campus, and more.”
Chancellor Christ also “encourage[d] everyone, students, staff, faculty, alumni, and allies, to speak up and show support for our undocumented students and staff,” saying that the Trump Administration marks, “truly unprecedented times that should motivate us all to take collective action. We are open to feedback and guidance on the best ways to move this forward with compassion and growth. We invite you to join us in this effort to ensure humanity and justice are upheld for all.”
Berkeley Assistant Vice Chancellor of Public Affairs Dan Mogulof told Campus Reform that Chancellor Christ’s statement “aligned with policy stances and positions that have been adopted and supported by President [Janet] Napolitano and the entire UC system.”
The positions taken by the University of California system under Napolitano have been considered by many as a conflict of interest. Prior to becoming President of the UC system, Napolitano served in the Obama Administration as Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. She was a chief architect of the DACA program that was enacted in 2012 during her tenure at DHS.
[RELATED: UC Berkeley allocating up to $800k for ‘undocumented’ students]
”Students’ largest complaint about the higher education system in the United States is rising tuition costs,” President of Berkeley College Republicans Matt Ronnau, told Campus Reform. “Yet, the University of California continues to make exorbitant commitments to illegal immigrants that go far beyond just the cost associated with the pending lawsuit against the Trump Administration and refuse to put American students first.”
”If the UC system adopted Trump’s ‘America first’ focus when it came to their students, costs for both the school and the students would go down: a win-win situation. Unfortunately, the left-wing academics resort to virtue signaling, and students continue to pay exorbitant amounts of money in order to achieve their degree,” Ronau added.
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