The Latina/o and Mexican American Studies Program at the University of North Texas would like to reiterate its commitment and support for all students, regardless of their immigration status and that we especially stand with Dreamers and DACA recipients in this time of uncertainty. We recognize and value their role and contribution to our communities, families, schools, and workplaces. Lastly, we recognize their contribution to the shared vision of our nation. A nation dedicated to the proposition that all men and women are created equal and that they are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights, among them: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Since June 2012, nearly 800,000 DREAMERS - meaning those who came to the United States as children - have come forward, passed background checks, paid fees, and received permission to live and work in America as DACA recipients. With DACA, they have been able to pursue educational opportunities previously out of reach due to their immigration status and morefully establish themselve as integral members of our society. 97 percent of all DACA recipients are currently employed and/or enrolled in school. Among the 45 percent of DACA recipients currently in school, 72% are pursuing a bachelor's degree or higher. Among the 91 percent of DACA recipients who are working, many are employed by the top 25 Fortune 500 companies - including Walmart, Apple, General Motors, Amazon, JPMorgan Chase, Home Depot, and Wells Fargo, among others.1

The Latina/o and Mexican American Studies Program at UNT recognizes that DREAMERS and DACA recipients enrich and strengthen our cities, states, schools, businessses, and congregations. We wish to reiterate our commitment to assisting and supporting DREAMERS and DACA students at UNT to the best of our ability. We believe it is a moral imperative to support and encourage them and to let DREAMERS and DACA recipients know we are with them.

DREAMERS: We see you, we value you, and we are ready to support you.

1Statistics from Tom K. Wong et al., 2017 National DACA Study