JHU response to DACA decision
Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff:
Yesterday the Trump administration announced its decision to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, program and remitted to Congress the task of crafting a legislative response to the plight of the “Dreamers”—the hundreds of thousands of undocumented young people who were brought to the United States as children.
Over the past seven years, Johns Hopkins has publicly supported the Dream Act and other legislative efforts to allow all students who have grown up in this country to enroll in college and contribute to our nation. We believe that such a course is not only compelling in moral terms, but reflects a necessary and pragmatic acknowledgement of the untenable situation of the Dreamers and the need to provide a clear path that will allow them to lead lives of dignity and purpose in this country.
This decision raises the ante on the need for urgent congressional action. In the meantime, the administration’s action to rescind DACA without the assurance of a legislative solution cannot help but create anxiety and insecurity in the lives of those who were raised in America and are pursuing the American ideal of bettering themselves, their families, and their communities.
In the weeks and months ahead, we will join with other universities to advocate vigorously on behalf of Dreamers at Johns Hopkins. We also want to reiterate the ways we will offer support to members of our Johns Hopkins community.
For students who are directly affected by the decision to end DACA protections, we will provide emergency aid or other financial support to ensure they can complete their degrees at Johns Hopkins. In addition, students seeking legal or other assistance related to DACA may contact the Provost’s Office of International Services, which will connect them with available resources.
We also will continue to take steps to protect the privacy rights of our students, faculty, and staff. The university will not provide information about the immigration status of members of our community unless required by law. In addition, our safety and security officers do not and will not request information regarding citizenship, nor enforce federal immigration laws without a specific court order; and we will not permit law enforcement or other officials to access private spaces on our campuses to enforce immigration laws absent a valid warrant or court order.
Any members of our community who are in need of counseling or other personal support services may contact the Counseling Center of Homewood Student Affairs, the Johns Hopkins Student Assistance Program, University Health Services’ Mental Health Program, or the Faculty and Staff Assistance Program. Additionally, the Provost’s Office of International Services is available to answer questions and will be posting and updating information on its website as it becomes available.
The decision on DACA will not deter us from working to ensure that all members of our community can participate fully in our mission—the pursuit of excellence in education, discovery, and service to the world.
Sincerely,
Ronald J. Daniels
President
Sunil Kumar
Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs
