NISG releases statement concerning DACA

NISG+Vice+Presiden+Tristan+Bernhard+%28left%29+and+NISG+President+Jamal+White+%28right%29.

Courtesy Photo

NISG Vice Presiden Tristan Bernhard (left) and NISG President Jamal White (right).

Students,

As you may be aware, this week Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced that the DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) program instituted under the Obama Administration in 2012 would be coming to an end.

This program served as a means by which many immigrants were able to live in the United States. People who were in the US under DACA were eligible to apply for two-year deferred action pertaining to deportation, as well as an extended eligibility to obtain a work permit among other benefits.

Over 800,000 Americans will be affected by the choice to rescind the program. No new DACA applications will be considered, and renewal requests will not be considered from this point on either, per the Trump Administration. From this point forward, the program will be “phased out” as DACA status expires for those 800,000 over the course of the next two years.

This policy will not only affect workers and the general population around the country, but have a prominent effect on college campuses across the nation. This means that some of our own UNI students may suffer in spite of the decisions that were made at the federal level.

As your leaders and representatives within Northern Iowa Student Government (NISG), we wanted to make it known that we have acknowledged the need for these students and that we are here to support you during this time.

Here at the University of Northern Iowa we value students from all walks of life, and it is in our best interest and hope that those students can continue to call UNI their home. For the general student body, we encourage that you be cognizant of students who may be experiencing the effects of this policy and the impact that the absence of the DACA program being in place may have on these individuals’ lives across campus.

If any student feels they or someone they know may be affected by this change of policy, we urge them to consult with the International Students and Scholars Office on campus, which is open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is located at 113 Maucker Union (upstairs Maucker, next to the student life desk).

Additionally, students should feel comfortable reaching out to NISG to find the resources they need at this time. Knowing your path forward in grim circumstances such as these is incredibly important.

Again, this administration would like to emphasize that it is our hope that those who have the privilege of calling UNI home are able to remain here. This university thrives when it embraces students from all kinds of backgrounds, and it is imperative we continue to embrace this diversity.

— Jamal White, NISG President

— Tristan Bernhard, NISG Vice President