College Remains Committed to Undocumented Students
A message from Superintendent / President Jeff Baker
In light of the July 16, 2021 ruling by the Texas Supreme Court, which partially ends the federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program (commonly known as DACA), College of the Desert remains steadfast in its support of undocumented students, including DACA recipients.
The California Community Colleges system is the nation's largest post-secondary education system in the country, and it is committed to serving all residents, regardless of immigration status. California is home to 223,000 people who are participating in the federal DACA program. In California, undocumented students have access to college through AB 540, AB 130, and AB 131, which combine to make college access and retention more realistic for some undocumented students.
Dreamers are pillars of our nation's economy and communities – 93 percent of them are employed, they pay close to $10 billion in taxes, and they carry nearly $20 billion in spending power. More than 40,000 Dreamers have started businesses and created new jobs for American workers, growing our entrepreneurial spirit. In addition, Dreamers are on the frontlines of the pandemic response. Nearly 200,000 are essential workers – first responders, restaurant and grocery store workers, childcare providers, and almost 30,000 are healthcare workers, including doctors and nurses.
The well-being, education, and future of our students, regardless of background, are primary concerns for College of the Desert; our students deserve nothing less than our respect and support. Therefore, we have joined more than 400 others, including higher education, business, faith, and civic leaders, who have signed a letter organized by the Presidents' Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration and the American Business Immigration Coalition in support of the bipartisan Dream Act of 2021.
We are proud to continue our commitment to serving undocumented students through the services offered by the Dreamer Resource Center at College of the Desert. We encourage faculty and staff to refer students to the center by contacting Outreach Specialist Rubi Becerril Gonzalez at rbecerrilgonzalez@collegeofthedesert.edu.
In addition, we would like to remind the campus community of our partnership with TODEC Legal Services, which provides free immigration legal services to students, staff, and faculty. If you are interested in accessing these services, please request an appointment directly with the TODEC Legal Center.
Sincerely,
Jeff Baker
Interim Superintendent / President
