Dear CSN Family,
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled this morning to uphold the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. The Court held that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s decision to end the DACA program was “arbitrary and capricious.” This decision is long overdue and is a tremendous win for our students, our college and our community. As an immigrant who benefitted from the opportunities provided by the American higher education system, I am so happy for our CSN DACA students who can continue to pursue their dreams and aspirations.
As I stated on April 25 and reiterate today, we strongly support all our students at CSN, including DACA-undocumented students. We value the diverse population of students, faculty and staff that make CSN what it is. Indeed, we believe our rich diversity makes us a stronger institution and community partner. As a community college, we must reflect the community we serve, and we do.
It is important to note that the right to protect the DACA program may not be over yet. The Court explained that the decision to unwind the program did not violate the U.S. Constitution. However, the ruling rejected the legal basis on which President Trump’s administration relied on to unwind the program, which was that the program was illegally implemented in the first place. This means that the program could still be terminated in the future.
It is as important now as ever for current DACA recipients to renew their status. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services stopped accepting new DACA applications in 2017 after the program was ended. However, officials continued accepting renewal applications pending today’s decision. Today’s decision now allows eligible recipients to submit new applications.
Chancellor Thom Reilly noted this morning that NSHE and the Board of Regents will continue to work with Nevada’s federal delegation, Gov. Steve Sisolak, and state lawmakers on a permanent solution to DACA.
The UNLV Immigration Clinic’s University Legal Services Program offers free legal advice and representation to the UNLV and CSN communities. This includes free DACA renewals. To schedule an appointment and/or determine your DACA eligibility, call (702) 895-2080 or email immigrationclinic@unlv.nevada.edu. The Immigrant Home Foundation also provides assistance with DACA renewals and other resources to immigrant families. To schedule an appointment, call (702) 889-4431 or email info@immigrantfoundation.org.
For additional information, please contact the CSN All-Access Committee. Some of the resources available to our DACA and undocumented students include the CSN Alternative Scholarship Application and the CSN Student Emergency Fund. To learn more about immigration resources in general, see the Nevada Immigrant Resource Guide.
Please know that CSN supports all our students on their journey toward completion. We stand ready to help in any way we can.
Federico Zaragoza
President
College of Southern Nevada