Miami University President Greg Crawford responds to President Trump's repeal of DACA: We will accept Dreamers

BY DUNCAN STEWART

Miami university journalism student

Miami University President Greg Crawford released a statement on September 5 regarding President Trump’s decision to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).

DACA allowed immigrants who came to the United States as children to work and attend school here.

“Miami working through its higher education associations has been urging President Trump and Congress to protect the Dreamers [DACA students],” he wrote in the statement.

The statement also mentions that last December, President Crawford joined with other Ohio public university presidents to advocate the U.S. Senate to support The BRIDGE Act, S. 3542.

This bill would “provide provisional protection from deportation and work authorization as currently provided by DACA,” according the Crawford’s statement.

President Crawford said he released this statement because some students may have been concerned about President Trump’s announcement.

“I wanted to tell all students in the Miami community that we support their pursuit of a degree and of their dream and that we are advocating to legislators to protect DACA students,” he said in an email to Patch. “We know that college students are pursuing the American dream, working hard to attain success, no matter where they were born.”

Miami will continue to admit students no matter their immigration status, he said.

Dr. Kelley Kimple, director of the Office of Diversity Affairs, said her department is putting together a panel designed to educate Miami students about DACA.

"We're seeking out individuals who would be experts on DACA," she said. "We're working to possibly have an immigration lawyer and someone who has worked with DACA students in the past."

Undocumented students who reside in Ohio pay in-state tuition rates.

Miami University police department protocol does not allow officers to ask people about their immigration status nor to arrest them only because they cannot prove they are here legally.

DACA was created during the Obama administration to allow people who illegally came to the U.S. as children and have lived here for five years to avoid deportation and be able to legally attend school and get a job.

More information about DACA procedures at Miami University can be found here.

Photo: Miami University President Greg Crawford said Miami will continue its educational mission by supporting DACA students. -- By Duncan Stewart