Vermont Colleges Defend DACA

In a statement issued this week to the Vermont Congressional delegation, the governor, and the attorney general, Vermont independent colleges decried the decision to revoke the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Signed by all 17 members of the Association of Vermont Independent Colleges (AVIC), the statement says the decision “threatens to disrupt the lives of students in our state and across the country who, through no fault of their own, have known no other home than the United States.”

“Vermont has a long tradition of welcoming and embracing immigrants, and the state’s colleges are an important part of upholding that tradition,” said Kevin Quigley, Marlboro president. “We support permanent protections for DACA participants who are pursuing an education and or working to better their lives and contribute to our society.”

Enacted by former President Obama in 2012, DACA has given legal protections to nearly 800,000 undocumented immigrants who came to the United States as children—42 of them are in Vermont. The AVIC statement urges Vermont to join 14 other states in a lawsuit challenging the termination of the law.

“Vermont is a state that is proud of its independent spirit, strong sense of community, and sense of justice,” says the statement. “We stand united with DACA students.”