Princeton University president urges White House to continue DACA ‘dreamer’ program

President Eisgruber sent  letter to the White House on Wednesday calling on the administration to continue the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program in its current form and to defend it from any potential court challenges.

“Repealing DACA would be a tragic mistake,” Eisgruber wrote. “DACA is a wise and humane policy that benefits this country in multiple ways. It has allowed talented and motivated students, who came here as a result of decisions by their parents, to pursue educations and contribute positively to our communities and our country.”

The DACA program permits undocumented students, commonly referred to as “dreamers,” to continue their studies in the United States without fear of deportation. Last fall, Eisgruber issued a statement in support of DACA to the Princeton University community and joined a group of college and university presidents who signed on to a statement supporting the program.

“You have said that DACA students are ‘incredible kids,’ and I very much agree. Indeed, I expect that the extraordinary young people at Princeton and other institutions of higher education who have benefited from the DACA program will be leaders in building the innovation economy that your administration has championed,”  Eisgruber wrote in his letter to President Trump. “Fair treatment and inclusivity are values fundamental to America’s Constitution, its history, and its future. DACA carries forward these commitments and exemplifies the spirit that has long defined this country: it enables hardworking, honest young people to thrive as engaged and productive members of our society, and it strengthens us all through the talent that they bring to America.”

Trump is considering ending the program that President Barack Obama created. The program has granted deportation protections to nearly 800,000 undocumented immigrants brought to the country as children. In his letter, Eisgruber urged Trump to do everything in his power to preserve the program. More than 1,850 leaders around the country also signed on to a letter Wednesday pleading with Trump to save the program.