DACA Ruling Impacts College Track Students

Dear College Track community,

On June 18, 2020, The Supreme Court of the United States issued a final ruling on the outcome of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). In a 5-4 decision, DACA was upheld, offering relief to more than 700,000 DACA recipients living in the U.S., who can continue to pursue careers in America protected from deportation.

At College Track we stand with our hundreds of undocumented students, who have lived with the threat of family separation and deportation for far too long. For those living under DACA, the knowledge that its temporary protections are easily taken from them at any time is just one of a multitude of systemic barriers our students face as they pursue their bachelor’s degrees. 

Since 2017, we have served 300 Dreamers across 12 communities in California, Colorado, Louisiana and the D.C. Metro Area. 95 of our Dreamers are DACA recipients and have been living in fear of the impact that policy changes will have on their education, families, and safety. In response, College Track expanded the resources available to DACA recipients to ensure that students stay on the path to college completion, providing need- and merit-based scholarships, covering DACA renewal fees, offering free immigration screenings, connecting students and families with free or low-cost legal aid, and providing a dedicated National Dreamer Coordinator to keep track of our students’ DACA renewal deadlines. 

The Supreme Court’s decision will allow College Track students and thousands across the country who are eligible with the opportunity to obtain DACA and those who have been living in limbo the freedom to renew. While this is a positive outcome for our students, we know that DACA is not a permanent solution, and encourage students and families to stay diligent with renewals and continue to fight for comprehensive immigration reform. Today’s Dreamers represent the drive, resilience, and diversity this country was built on. We need them to succeed now, more than ever. 

College Track will continue advocating for our students and communities so that everyone, no matter where they’re from, has the chance to lead a life of opportunity, choice, and power.

Elissa