Lawrence University Goes On Record Against Efforts To Deport Students

Lawrence University, a private college in Appleton, has joined 49 other schools in signing an amicus curiae, or “friend of the court,” brief supporting a legal challenge to the proposed end of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, DACA, program.

The college is Wisconsin’s only higher education institution to sign the brief connected to a suit filed in California regarding President Donald Trump’s proposal to deport DACA recipients — commonly referred to as “Dreamers.” The program was implemented by former President Barack Obama and allows young immigrants who were brought to the country illegally to remain in the United States.

Mark Burstein, Lawrence’s president, said he isn’t legally allowed to divulge the number of Lawrence students who are DACA recipients. Burstein added that he believes deporting people who were brought to the U.S. as minors is wrong and that they should have certain exemptions from immigration rules.

“The discontinuing of DACA harms over 800,000 young people in our society, some of them on our college campuses,” Burstein said.

Burstein added that the proposed rule changes by the Trump administration could cause upheaval in Dreamers’ lives.

“Standing up for 800,000 young people who really came not of their own volition but came with family members is an important principal,” he said.