UC Merced chancellor: Repealing DACA is “cruel bait-and-switch”

After Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced Tuesday morning that the White House plans to “wind down” the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program – an Obama-era initiative that shields young undocumented immigrants from deportation – UC Merced Chancellor Dorothy Leland denounced the decision and vowed that the university would continue providing so-called “Dreamers” an education.

“The decision to end DACA is a cruel bait-and-switch for the many young adults who are living, learning and working here under its protections,” Leland said in a statement. “Congress must now step up and pass legislation that will allow Dreamers to remain in this country to pursue the opportunities they have earned.”

Leland said the newest University of California campus has about 600 students who are undocumented.

“These are hardworking, law-abiding, taxpaying young people who enrich our campus and community,” she said. “Now is the time for action to ensure that these students will continue to receive the transformational educational experiences that they so richly deserve.”

After Trump’s November victory, officials at UC Merced and Merced College reaffirmed the schools’ commitment to Dreamers.

This story was originally published September 5, 2017 at 8:48 AM with the headline "UC Merced chancellor: Repealing DACA is “cruel bait-and-switch”."