Students released a petition “on behalf of allies and members of the undocumented communtiy” on July 28 requesting that the University take legal action against the new restrictions on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, among other demands aimed at supporting undocumented students.
The petition, addressed to President Marc Tessier-Lavigne and Provost Persis Drell, follows an announcement from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that it will be shortening DACA protections to one year instead of two and will not be accepting new applications
“While the petition was written in direct response to DHS’s 7/28th announcement, it is representative of the multiple attacks the undocumented community has had to endure for decades, while clearly outlining the lack of support and attention the Stanford administration has warranted to its own undocumented student population,” wrote an editor of the petition, who was granted anonymity for fear of retaliation in an email. “Stanford is elapsing long periods of silence while our migrant student population experiences extreme anxiety with every politically-charged attack. And now, we’ve decided to carry the burden of doing the labor the University should be doing.”
With nearly 1,000 signatures as of Aug. 6, the petition also demands that the University “create a taskforce designated to implementing and enforcing training for all faculty, staff, and administration in order to better support undocumented students” and provide more financial aid to undocumented students including a $1,500 minimum yearly stipend and fee waivers for DACA applications and other legal applications.
According to Stanford spokesperson E.J. Miranda, the University will continue to push the White House and Congress to “provide a legislative solution addressing the needs of DREAMers and DACA recipients.” Miranda advised that undocumented students access University resources including a free legal consultation with the Immigrant’s Rights Clinic of Stanford Law School.
“We continue to stand in firm support of our DACA and undocumented community and believe the best, most lasting way to support DACA recipients in our community and across the nation requires legislative action coupled with individual support for our students,” Miranda wrote.
Miranda did not speak to specific demands of the petition.
The appeal’s authors plan to send the petition to the administration in the upcoming weeks.
Meanwhile, the petition editor recommended that citizens donate to mutual aid funds to further support the undocumented community.
“Centering undocumented people is crucial, and we have made our demands known. Speaking out while undocumented is dangerous. It’s time to do your part,” they wrote in an email to The Daily.
Contact Logan Little at loganparislittle ‘at’ gmail.com.