Students start petition asking President Bolton to commit to protecting undocumented and DACA status students
Caren Holmes
Staff Writer
Eduadro Munoz ’19 is organizing an online petition to encourage The College of Wooster to proactively commit to protections for undocumented and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) students in reaction to the looming threats of the current United States presidential administration.
The petition seeks to address the many complications and issues that DACA students would face if the DACA program were to be terminated. Munoz explained, “With the current DACA program, students may receive temporary legal status in the U.S. and are not at risk for deportation. They also receive work permits, driver licenses and American IDs, and other benefits. If DACA is dismantled, all this is taken away from them.”
The petition lays out three primary demands. First, that the College agree “to cover all preexisting financial costs to students directly after the termination of the DACA program” and that the institution work to accommodate the financial gap for students who may lose financial support as the result of a program termination. Second, that the College refuse to share any sensitive information with and refuse access to the campus for immigration agencies without a judicial warrant. Third, that the College’s admissions process be restructured to expand upon the inclusion of academically qualified undocumented students.
President Bolton responded to the demands outlined in the petition and highlighted the ways in which the College is working to proactively address these concerns. Bolton stated that the College already follows strict standards to protect the private information of students, but that the school is beginning to take additional precautions.
Bolton explained, “At the start of the current semester, we contacted all faculty and staff to be sure that everyone who might be asked about a student’s protected information would know not to respond, and to pass the request forward to my office so that we can ensure we protect students to the maximal extent permitted by law.”
She also highlighted that the College works to adjust financial aid support for students whose legal immigration status may change during the course of their college career, specifically to support students who can no longer legally work. Finally, in response to the concerns about immigration agencies on campus, Bolton explained that, “the College’s campus is, by and large, open. In that regard, we cannot generally prevent persons from coming onto campus property.” However, she goes on to explain that the dorms and private residences are not accessible to agencies without the proper court order.
Professor Brian Cope, a faculty advocate for DACA students, stated that, “The College appears to be taking appropriate (and I hope all possible) measures to protect our DACA students. Faculty and staff have received a protocol to follow from President Bolton in the event that we receive a request for information about any of our students from a government agency. Certainly following this protocol is a good first step.” Bolton went on to highlight additional measures the College can take to support DACA student populations, including providing access to legal support and counseling.
However, the future of the DACA program remains uncertain, and the ramifications of its termination are unclear. Bolton explained, “Ethically, if we promise students that we will protect their information in a certain regard, we need to be certain that we can definitely do that legally. The legal landscape is quite complex and uncertain, and I am committed to providing students the best information we can so that they can make the most well-informed decisions on issues regarding their own safety.”