Skip to main content

The Supreme Court’s DACA decision

To our Stanford community,

Today’s U.S. Supreme Court decision regarding the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy is welcome news. We continue to stand in firm support of our DACA community here at Stanford, and we are delighted that the Court allowed the program to remain in place.

The members of our DACA community are valued members of the Stanford community and are making important contributions to our work of education and research. We have steadfastly believed that investing in the education of DACA students is both the right thing to do as well as an investment in our country’s future, as they apply their talents to strengthening our society and economy.

As you may have read, while the Court did not rule on the merits of DACA itself, it blocked the effort to bring an immediate end to the program, saying the Department of Homeland Security provided insufficient justification for doing so.

We continue to believe the best, most lasting way to support DACA recipients in our community and across the nation requires legislative action.

At Stanford, we have consistently urged White House and Congressional leadership to support the concepts embodied in the DREAM Act and to provide a legislative solution addressing the needs of DREAMers and DACA recipients. We also have supported DACA in the courts and undertaken an array of advocacy efforts supporting undocumented members of our community. Those efforts will continue.

We also remain committed to providing support and resources for those in our community who are undocumented. Among the resources:

  • Students who need assistance connecting with support resources related to DACA or undocumented status may contact Dean of Students Mona Hicks at (650) 723-2733 or deanofstudents@stanford.edu.
  • Any undocumented Stanford student can receive a free legal consultation, including for the purpose of understanding how this newest court decision might affect them. The Bechtel International Center can facilitate a consultation with an attorney through the Immigrants’ Rights Clinic of Stanford Law School. Contact Bechtel by emailing fordreamers@stanford.edu.
  • Support resources also are available to faculty and staff. In addition, Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto can provide a free consultation to community members, such as employees who have a concern for an undocumented family member. Contact the organization at (650) 326-6440.
  • Further resources are available on the Undocumented at Stanford website.

As we celebrate today’s decision, we continue to stand with all members of our community, and most especially those who feel threatened or vulnerable. If you have questions or need support or assistance, please call upon these resources.

Sincerely,

Marc Tessier-Lavigne
President

Persis Drell
Provost