As a bipartisan group of state and district education leaders, we are deeply troubled by the Trump Administration’s decision to cease protections for the law-abiding young people known as “Dreamers.” Last week, we urged Congress to ensure lasting protections under the law, and we urged the Administration not to end the Consideration of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program in the absence of a new law, because doing so would harm America’s schools and communities. This move by the Administration heightens the urgency for Congress to take action to protect Dreamers in the form of common-sense immigration reform.
Pushing these young people into the shadows will hurt our schools and communities. On a conference call with reporters last week, two Chiefs for Change members, DC State Superintendent Hanseul Kang and Broward, FL Superintendent Robert Runcie, emphasized the human cost of halting DACA protections, and reflected on their own experiences as immigrants. “I know the fear immigrant families and students experience,” Kang said. As the leaders of state and district education systems that serve more than 5 million students, we remain committed to doing everything in our power to ensure that children are safe and supported in our schools.
ABOUT CHIEFS FOR CHANGE
Chiefs for Change is a coalition of state and district education Chiefs dedicated to excellence and equity for all students. Chiefs for Change members lead education systems serving 5.3 million students, 330,000 teachers, and 10,000 schools.
