June 18, 2020

I am grateful the U.S. Supreme Court blocked efforts to shut down the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, an initiative that has helped countless young immigrants in Oregon and across our nation. At a time when the University of Oregon, our state, and country are painfully grappling with disparities in access to opportunity caused by historic and systemic racism, we need sensible and humane programs like DACA now more than ever. We must recognize, however, that this is a fleeting victory, because the court, in a split decision, only found that the government failed to justify the reason for ending DACA. If there are further efforts to eliminate DACA, we will continue to stand by our students. It is my great hope that federal lawmakers take this moment to enact comprehensive immigration reform that permanently protects Dreamers and creates for them pathways to citizenship. Our young Dreamers in Oregon and beyond deserve access to the same opportunities that our nation has offered generations of immigrants before them.

—Michael H. Schill, President