ACD Stands With The Supreme Court On Preserving DACA

Alamo Colleges District Family,

Immigrants played a vital role in our nation’s success pre-COVID and will continue to as our country transitions from response to recovery during this pandemic. DREAMers — immigrants brought to the U.S. as children—are eligible for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which was terminated by the Trump administration and has been the center of years of litigation. This week, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled to preserve DACA, temporarily protecting DREAMers from deportation. The Alamo Colleges District and our family of colleges —Northeast Lakeview College, Northwest Vista College, Palo Alto College, St. Philip’s College and San Antonio College—celebrate the Supreme Court’s decision.

Focused on students and empowering our diverse communities for success, the Alamo Colleges leadership in 2017, and again in 2019, declared their support for our DREAMers students, faculty and staff, recognizing the valuable contributions they provide to the region. As part of this support, we established a DACA/DREAMers resource website, a districtwide DREAMers Advisory Council that consists of administrators, faculty, frontline staff, advisors/counselors and campus police, and enrollment support services tailored for DREAMers.

Our nation, and especially Texas, relies on and benefits from, the economic contributions of DREAMers. Approximately 107,000 DACA recipients live in Texas, the second highest population of DREAMers nationwide. DREAMers also matriculate in our Texas institutions of higher education at a high rate — 66,000 total in Texas. These men and women contribute to the vitality of our economy, attend our colleges and universities, work in key industries and improve our quality of life. They are hardworking individuals that include nearly 27,000 healthcare workers nationwide who have been fighting on the frontlines against COVID-19.

The Supreme Court’s decision, while positive, is not the final step. Without a legislative solution to the DACA program, DREAMers, the schools they attend, and the businesses which employ them, will continue to face uncertainty about the future. Now more than ever, our community is relying on a stable workforce to make the everyday decisions that will contribute to the economic recovery of our region. DREAMers deserve a legislative solution that allows them to fully participate in our society.

We commit to our DREAMers students, faculty and staff to remain welcoming and open to all and continue to urge congress to find a legislative resolution for DACA.

In Service,

Marcelo Casillas, Chair of the Alamo Colleges Board of Trustees
Dr. Mike Flores, Chancellor
Dr. Veronica Garcia, President of Northeast Lakeview College
Dr. Ric Neal Baser, President of Northwest Vista College
Dr. Robert Garza, President of Palo Alto College
Dr. Adena Williams Loston, President of St. Philip's College
Dr. Robert Vela, President of San Antonio College