New Education Department Guidance on DACA and Undocumented Youth Great Step Toward Facilitating Success of Students -- Spaces4Learning

Recruit and Retain

New Education Department Guidance on DACA and Undocumented Youth Great Step Toward Facilitating Success of Students

10/20/15

Washington, D.C. — Responding to the release of the U.S. Department of Education’s resource guide to help schools, colleges, teachers, and other personnel support the college and career success of undocumented and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, youth in secondary and postsecondary settings, Tom Jawetz, Vice President of Immigration Policy at the Center for American Progress, issued the following statement:

Undocumented youth—including those with DACA—are members of our communities and our families. They are future business owners, employees, and co-workers. They are future Americans. This country should do all it reasonably can to educate these young people and ensure their success because their success is our success. Additionally, undocumented people are at heightened risk of discrimination and other abuses and undocumented students no less so. Empowering people with knowledge of their rights and the resources to exercise those rights is what a good democratic society does.

Sarah Audelo, Policy Director for Generation Progress, added:
This guide is a great step to help educators and staff support students for academic and career success, to debunk misconceptions about the legal rights of undocumented students, and to ensure that youth are taking the necessary steps to enroll and/or re-enroll in the DACA program. As a previous Generation Progress report quoted in the resource guide explores, among many other issues, the admissions process for postsecondary institutions can be tough for undocumented youth, who face a number of additional hurdles. We hope that Congress, states, institutions, and entire systems of higher education will continue this work to ensure that our undocumented community has the support it deserves.

The following experts are available upon request to speak on this issue:

Tom Jawetz, Vice President of Immigration Policy, Center for American Progress
Catherine E. Brown, Vice President of Education Policy, Center for American Progress
Sarah Audelo, Policy Director, Generation Progress

Related resources:

Removing Barriers To Higher Education for Undocumented Students by Zenen Jaimes Perez
States Must Expand Higher-Education Opportunities for Undocumented Students by Zenen Jaimes Perez
Results from a Nationwide Survey of DACA Recipients Illustrate the Program’s Impact by Tom K. Wong, Kelly K. Richter, Ignacia Rodriguez, and Philip E. Wolgin (Spanish version)
Assessing the Economic Impacts of Granting Deferred Action Through DACA and DAPA by Silva Mathema
DACA Helps Undocumented Students Access Higher Education by Sanam Malik
Undocumented Students Deserve Greater Access to Higher Education by Antoinette Flores
Infographic: Inside the Labyrinth: Undocumented Students in Higher Education (Spanish version) by Zenen Jaimes Perez

For more information on this topic or to speak with an expert, please contact Tanya S. Arditi at [email protected] or 202.741.6258.

E-Mail this page

Printable Format

Featured

Why a Fire Loss Is More than Flames

We've all seen what fire damage can do to a property, but the types of damage building owners often encounter after a fire loss can exceed expectations. Having full awareness of the different forms of damage properties can sustain helps owners respond faster, reduce continued damage, and get back on the road to recovery in short order.
DLR Group Appoints New K–12 Education Practice Leader

Integrated design firm DLR Group recently announced that it has named its new global K–12 Education leader, Senior Principal Carmen Wyckoff, AIA, LEED AP, according to a news release. Her teams have members in all 36 of the firm’s offices in the U.S., Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Europe, and Asia.
Construction Begins on East Austin CTE-Focused High School

The Del Valle Independent School District recently announced that construction has begun on a new CTE-focused high school in Austin, Texas, according to a news release. Del Valle High School will measure in at 473,338 square feet and have the capacity for 2,400 students.
Texas State University Completes Stadium Renovations

Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas, recently announced that it has completed a series of additions and renovations to its football stadium, according to a news release. Formerly known as the Bobcat Stadium End Zone Complex, the Johnny and Nathali Weisman Football Performance Center is an 85,000-square-foot expansion featuring hospitality spaces, banquet spaces, exterior concourses, and upgrades to the field house.