Consortium: DACA students deserve a permanent solution

A grim reality bears down on young people brought to the United States as infants or children. Many have been raised in California schools and now attend our Central Valley colleges and universities.

Since 2012, undocumented students have been granted temporary permission to stay in the United States through the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA. This measure was a policy fix. However, DACA has delivered more than protection it has delivered a trajectory shift — once only a dream. These undocumented young people have interwoven themselves where they are legally able to work to help themselves and their families.

Further, the policy has demonstrated to have allowed thousands of young undocumented people to pursue education and elevate their socio-economic conditions while improving the well-being of their communities. The Harvard Graduate School of Education’s National Undocumented Research Project conducted a five-year study aimed at understanding how Daca-eligible individuals accessed the program and experienced their new status. This historical study, “Taking Giant Leaps Forward,” is the most comprehensive study to date and consists of a national survey of 2,648 DACA eligible young adults in Arizona, California, Georgia, Illinois, New York and South Carolina.

The study found DACA to be a springboard that allowed these beneficiaries to experience immediate and continued job mobility. DACA has served as an open gate previously closed where students can participate in a variety of opportunities such as GED programs, workforce development, certificate programs and higher education study.

Not only have DACA beneficiaries been able to continue their education past high school, but they are able to work and serve in the military. DACA provides students the ability to receive a social security number and driver’s licenses. Employability provides opportunities for internships, fellowships and job training for career advancement. The reality is that an undocumented individual has little to no family resources to pursue education. They are excluded from state and federal financial aid and their motivation to pursue an economic dream is severely depressed without proper educational attainment. DACA has proven to create opportunities for young people that positively impact their communities.

Over 72,000 undocumented students are enrolled at the University of California, the California State University system and the California Community Colleges. An initial scan of the Central Valley shows there are over 5,000 DACA enrolled students. However, the exact number is unknown. What is known is that DACA not only provides protection from deportation, it has created a shift in reality.

However, the magnitude of this shift is yet to be realized — the potential of Central Valley DACA students has been stunted, with the Administration’s Sept. 5, announcement ending DACA in six months. As a result, no new DACA applications will be accepted and Congress must act by March 5, 2018 to create new immigration legislation.

The Central Valley Higher Education Consortium (CVHEC) stands up for these students. CVHEC is a regional consortium made up of 26 higher education institutions, including community colleges, community college districts, California State Universities, University of California, and private universities from Stockton to Bakersfield. CVHEC speaks with a single voice to advocate for higher education with a focus of increasing the Central Valley’s degree attainment rates. Today, CVHEC stands for our local students with the potential to shift the trajectory of the Central Valley.

The Harvard study highlights that of those DACA beneficiaries interviewed, 69 percent moved to a job with better pay, 90 percent got a driver’s license or state identification card for the first time, 65 percent purchased their first car, 5 percent started their own business, and 16 percent purchased their first home. Keep in mind, DACA is still just a public policy measure — never meant to replace immigration reform, but a policy for the well-being of individuals to live their lives while Congress developed a better solution. A solution is needed.

Encouraged by the swift support of valley legislatures — including Congressman Jim Costa (16th District), Congressman David Valadao (21st District), and Congressman Jeff Denham (District 10), CVHEC joins Senator Andy Vidak (14th District) in urging our Valley congressmen to join their colleagues in Congress, and act to immediately pass bipartisan legislation which would provide a permanent solution for these young people. A solution for the Central Valley includes one that creates a secure pathway toward citizenship and allows these DACA beneficiaries to continue on the trajectory of success that allows them to live, work and serve without fear.