Ohio State University President Michael Drake joined nearly 800 other university presidents Thursday in signing a letter to Congress urging it to take action and permanently protect students enrolled in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.
The letter was addressed to the majority and minority leaders in both the House and Senate and called on legislators to “take the action that President [Donald] Trump requested when he rescinded the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy.”
DACA is an Obama era policy which protects undocumented immigrants who arrived in the United States as children with their parents from deportation.
“Colleges and universities have seen these remarkable people up close, in our classrooms and as our colleagues and friends,” the letter said. “Despite the challenges they face, they have made incredible contributions to our country and its economy and security. They should continue to be able to do so.”
When President Trump rescinded DACA he called on legislators to take action to protect “Dreamers” and this letter intends to push Congress to do so.
Signing this letter falls in line with previous public statements made by Drake in support of protecting “Dreamers” at Ohio State and across the country.
