DACA (Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals) students can find light outside of the darkness at Kean University. Dr. Frank Argote-Freyre, assistant professor of Latin American History, will moderate a panel of three DACA recipients and an immigration attorney during the Teach-In on Wednesday Oct. 4 at 4:30 p.m. in the Miron Student Center (MSC) Little Theatre.
The Teach-In is designed to help educate students and staff on recent developments regarding DACA. All members of the university are welcome to attend and participate.
"Immigration has been a very important issue during the Trump administration, and from my perspective, stemming up a lot on scapegoating immigrants. We talked about ideas on how to help alleviate issues with immigration. Once President Trump announced the end of the DACA program, it became clear that's what we needed to do," Argote-Freyre explained. "DACA stands for Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals and what Trump did was he threw the lives of these folks into chaos, and so they have grown up the rest of their lives in the United States."
Argote-Freyre also mentioned the number of DACA recipients at Kean who would be able to benefit from the Teach-In as well as ask questions about where they stand.
"I spoke to Dr. Mercantini about it and that was clearly the way go. There are about 800,000 DACA recipients across the country and I was at a press conference over this September at Rutgers and they estimate they have about 500 DACA recipients...I am estimating Kean has about 150 DACA recipients."
He also understands that it is important for everyone who attends the panel to walk away with knowledge and comfort.
"We provide DACA students here at Kean with information about the issue...I will be moderating it and there will be an immigration lawyer on the panel as well. Our thinking was to let the DACA recipients share their stories which will provide information to all of the students, some including DACA recipients. It will give them some information and comfort and hopefully engender a discussion on immigration as well," said Argote-Freyre.
Argote-Freyre feels that this Teach-In panel can affect how students, whether DACA recipients or not, alleviate or fix immigrant and other social justice issues.
"As a university we are committed to an open dialogue, discussions and free expression of ideas [and] immigration has been one of those issues that has been in the spot light for a long time. And there doesn't seem to be any ability by Congress or the administration to fix these issues. So we want our students to be exposed to these different ideas and leave with information," said Argote-Freyre.
When asked about the resources Kean can provide, Argote-Freyre spoke in detail of how the DACA recipients can rely on the Kean community.
"At the Teach-In, there will be food and refreshments. They are transporting and paying the DACA recipients to be on the panel. And as far as the students, they can privately have discussion with the attorney and ask about their particular case. The Teach-In is on Oct. 4 before the deadline, which is Oct. 5 and we are here to remind and support the students about the extension," said Argote-Freyre.
In his last statement, Argote-Freyre said that he wants the Kean community to understand that unity is important in situations like this and if we speak out, there should be justice for the DACA recipients.
"At Kean University I feel we have to support the DACA students and immigrants in general because there is a long generation of immigrant bashing and this is not acceptable."
DACA was formed through the executive order of former President Barack Obama in 2012 to insure that people who come to the United States illegally as children are protected from immediate deportation.
The people protected under DACA are called Dreamers. They are called Dreamers because Congress failed to pass the Development Relief and Education for Alien Minors also known as the DREAM Act.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued the deadline for DACA students to renew their application by Oct. 5, 2017, if a student's DACA expires between Sept. 5, 2017 through March 5, 2018.
For filing the neccesary paperwork students must:
- Collect documents as evidence that guidelines are met
- Complete USCIS form I-821D, 1-765 and I-765W
- Mail USCIS forms and fees
- Check the Status
Resources for DACA students are as followed:
- Renewal Fee Financial Assistance
- Renewal Fee Legal Assistance
- UWD/FWD DACA Renewal Fund
Argote-Freyre and the Kean community want DACA students to understand that there is diversity and support for its students. For more information about the Teach-In, email Argote-Freyre at fargotef@kean.edu.
