Twitter | @utsadreamers
As Congress moves closer to the looming March 5 end date for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival program set by President Trump, the University of Texas at San Antonio is dedicating resources to help prepare undocumented students with DACA status (often called "Dreamers") for the unknown.
On January 22, UTSA opened its Dreamers Center — an office dedicated solely to supporting the university’s DACA student population.
The center will help students with DACA status apply to UTSA, apply for specific student loans, seek counseling services, apply to jobs, make legal referrals and even help answer broader immigration questions.
Due to a U.S. District Court judge ruling on January 9, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is accepting DACA renewals, but will not accept new applications.
The university is pursuing an agreement with Refugees and Immigration Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES) to provide information on the DACA renewal process.
Originally scheduled to open February 5, UTSA bumped up the opening date of the Dreamers Center.
“Given recent indications that DACA may not be resuscitated by Congress, it’s imperative we escalate the support we offer our Dreamers,” said President Taylor Eighmy in a press release. “We must do everything we can to ensure they have the right resources and information in the months to come.”
Launched by President Barack Obama through an executive order in 2012, DACA granted work permits and a hold on deportation proceedings to an estimated 800,000 individuals who arrived in the U.S. as undocumented children and have met certain criteria, such as being enrolled in school or having enlisted in the military. Texas is estimated to have 125,000 recipients granted protection through the program, according to USCIS.
UTSA’s Dreamers Center
Located in the UTSA Student Union in Student Center for Community Engagement and Inclusion, One UTSA Circle.
For more information or to request an appointment, call (210) 458-7777 or emailing [email protected].
