PSU Abington Condemns Trump Decision To End DACA

ABINGTON, PA — Penn State Abington's Chancellor has joined other Penn State leaders in decrying the recent decision by the Trump administration to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

United States Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the plan to rescind the program that protects 800,000 undocumented immigrants who arrived in the U.S. as minors Tuesday in a press conference.

The comments of PSU Abington's Chancellor Damian Fernandez, issued Thursday, echoed the comments of Penn State's President Eric J. Barron from earlier this week.

"We are a nation built by immigrants who share the values of hard work, determination, and persistence for a brighter future," Fernandez said. "Abington embodies these ideals."

Fernandez added that the decision does not take effect immediately and that there a number of resources available for students in the meantime.

Starting on Wednesday, the administration will not accept any new applications for DACA. Registration in the program lasts for two years. Anyone whose registration expires in the next six months will have until Oct. 5 to apply for another two-year extension. But after DACA recipients' registrations expire outside the six-month window, they will not be able to reapply. This means, in part, that the hundreds of thousands of people who received work permits under the program will be forced to leave their jobs once their registrations expire.

"I do not favor punishing children, most of whom are now adults, for the actions of their parents. But we must also recognize that we are nation of opportunity because we are a nation of laws," President Donald Trump said in statement. "We will resolve the DACA issue with heart and compassion – but through the lawful Democratic process – while at the same time ensuring that any immigration reform we adopt provides enduring benefits for the American citizens we were elected to serve. We must also have heart and compassion for unemployed, struggling, and forgotten Americans."

PSU Abington shared the following document of resources with the university community along with their statement on Thursday.

Image via Jacquelyn Martin / Associated Press