Presidents’ Alliance Joins Nationwide I Stand With Immigrants Day Of Action, Calls On Congress To Protect Dreamers This Year

PRESIDENTS’ ALLIANCE JOINS NATIONWIDE I STAND WITH IMMIGRANTS
DAY OF ACTION, CALLS ON CONGRESS TO PROTECT DREAMERS THIS YEAR
We call on the Senate to prioritize passing bipartisan Dream legislation before the end of the year 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
November 2, 2022
CONTACT: Diego Sánchez (diego@presidentsalliance.org)

Washington, D.C.—The Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration is excited to celebrate the 7th annual I Stand With Immigrants Day of Action along with over 200 colleges and universities, as we all come together to call on Congress to protect DACA recipients and other Dreamers by passing bipartisan legislation this year. 

Higher education leaders see the immense contributions DACA recipients, undocumented students, and other Dreamers make on a daily basis to our campuses and communities. We witness the intolerable legal limbo that Dreamers face and understand the negative impact of the threats to DACA on our workforce and economy. Undocumented students and professionals with and without DACA play an essential role in both higher education and workforce development:

• Every year about 100,000 undocumented young people graduate from U.S. high schools, only one-quarter of whom are estimated to be eligible for DACA. 
• Over 400,000 undocumented students are pursuing U.S. higher education and launching careers, eager to contribute to their communities and states.
• Close to 40% of all undocumented graduate students have undergraduate degrees in STEM fields
• 343,000 DACA recipients in the workforce are employed in jobs deemed essential by the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency

On this Day of Action, the Presidents’ Alliance, our partner organizations, student groups, and colleges and universities across the country are joining forces to stand with Dreamers and call on Congress to act now.

Diego Sánchez, the Director of Policy and Strategy of the Presidents’ Alliance stated: “As a former undocumented college student and DACA recipient, the timing of this year’s Day of Action in support of immigrants could not be more relevant. The window for a bipartisan legislative solution for DACA recipients and other Dreamers is quickly closing, and we call on Congress to seize the moment. On this day, the Presidents’ Alliance stands in solidarity with all immigrants and uplifts the invaluable contributions of immigrant students, staff, and faculty to campuses in every state.”

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The nonpartisan, nonprofit Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration brings college and university presidents and chancellors together on the immigration issues that impact higher education, our students, campuses, communities, and nation. We work to advance just, forward-looking immigration policies and practices at the federal, state, and campus levels that are consistent with our heritage as a nation of immigrants and the academic values of equity and openness. The Alliance is composed of over 550 presidents and chancellors of public and private colleges and universities, enrolling over five million students in 43 states, D.C., and Puerto Rico.