Update Feb. 26, 2018
The following is a statement released this afternoon by California State University Chancellor Timothy P. White:
"The Supreme Court's decision today to require a full appeal of the legal challenge regarding Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals is encouraging news for Dreamers studying and working throughout the California State University. We are hopeful that a permanent and positive solution is reached as soon as possible.
In the meantime, the CSU encourages all eligible students and employees to apply for renewal of their DACA protections as soon as possible. Free legal support services are available in your area to assist you with this effort. Additionally, all 23 CSU campuses offer resources to support undocumented students.
As I have stated repeatedly since before last September, providing those with DACA status a clear path for the future – to complete their education and build their careers – is indeed a wise decision for California and our nation.
I continue to call on federal policymakers to stand up for our shared American values of inclusivity, opportunity and excellence – regardless of background or birthplace.
If you require financial assistance with the renewal fee, the Mission Asset Fund provides interest free loans for various USCIS applications fees, including DACA renewal."
Helpful information about renewal applications can be found here:
Apply for renewal: https://www.uscis.gov/humanitarian/deferred-action-childhood-arrivals-response-january-2018-preliminary-injunction
Campus Resources: https://www2.calstate.edu/attend/student-services/resources-for-undocumented-students/Pages/campus-support.aspx
Mission Asset Fund: https://missionassetfund.org/immigration-programs/
The following is a statement released this afternoon by Sonoma State University President Judy K. Sakaki:
At Sonoma State, we continue to support our DACA students and employees. The recent Supreme Court ruling on DACA was encouraging.
We highly encourage all of our SSU DACA community to utilize of all available resources CSU systemwide and on campus.
Respectfully,
Judy K. Sakaki, President
Resources
SSU UndocuResource Center, Salazar 1060, Rosa Salamanca Moreira
SSU UndocuScholars Coalition, Salazar 2012
SSU Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS), 1088 Stevenson Hall, (707) 664-2153
CSU Chancellor’s Office Resources and Guidance, including list of legal support services
Update Jan. 16
CSU Update
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) confirmed in a recent statement that it will resume accepting requests to renew a grant of deferred action under DACA for individuals previously granted deferred action under the program. USCIS will not accept requests from individuals who have never before been granted DACA and will not accept or approve advance parole requests from DACA recipients.
If your DACA status expired/expires between September 5, 2017 and March 5, 2018, you are urged to complete and submit a DACA renewal application as soon as possible.
If your DACA status expired before September 5, 2017, or your DACA was previously terminated, you may file a new initial DACA request in accordance with the Form I-821D and Form I-765 instructions. You must list the date your prior DACA expired or was terminated, if available, on Part 1 of the Form I-821D.
If you need assistance completing your application, information regarding free legal support services is available here.
Applicants must submit a $495 fee. We will update you about available scholarship resources to assist with this fee. Currently, scholarship applications to the Mission Asset Fund are being placed on a waiting list and priority is being given to individuals whose DACA status has already expired or will soon.
Applications should be submitted using a delivery method that confirms your application and filing fee were received. We also recommend that you maintain a copy of this confirmation for your records. Information about application filing locations can be found here.
Applications should be submitted as quickly as possible. USCIS has reopened the renewal application procedure as the result of the January 9, 2018 injunction issued by a federal court. The government has appealed the decision and this opportunity to renew could end. Applicants should not delay.
For more information about the status of the DACA program, click here. Contact the CSU Public Affairs Department for any additional questions (562) 951-4800
Update Oct. 2:
Earlier this month the Mission Asset Fund (MAF) announced a scholarship fund to help young immigrants pay for the $495 DACA renewal fee. Now, the fund is announcing it has now tripled in size to reach $3 million—enough to help 6,000 Dreamers renew their DACA permits for two more years. To date, 4,000 scholarships have already been issued, with 2,000 scholarships still available—making this DACA renewal fund the largest of its kind in the nation. It is also important to note, close to 900 of the applications received so far are from California community college students.
Of the 154,000 Dreamers eligible to renew their DACA permits before the program ends on March 5, 2018, most are able to cover the application costs themselves. For Dreamers who are eligible for renewal but cannot afford the $495 application fee, MAF has stepped in with a solution now available nationwide: scholarships to help Dreamers renew their DACA status (LC4DACA.org).
There is a great deal of support for the young people who know this country as their only home. California Dreamers, many of whom are our students, want to live life outside of the shadows — so that they can study, earn a degree or certificate, work and build a future for themselves and their families. DACA was the salvation that brought them into the light of day. But, unfortunately, their opportunities are quickly dissolving.
DACA recipients with expiring permits are encouraged to visit LC4DACA.org and apply immediately. DACA recipients with a permit expiring between Sept. 5, 2017 and March 5, 2018 are eligible to receive the scholarships. All scholarship applications are being reviewed the same day and checks are mailed out by express mail the next business day. MAF is accepting scholarship applications through Friday, September 29.
Update Sept. 14:
Message to DACA Students and Employees from CSU Chancellor Timothy White:
Dear CSU DACA students and employees:
I strongly urge all DACA recipients whose status expires on or before March 5, 2018, to complete and submit a DACA renewal application before October 5, 2017. Renewal of your DACA status may be your only opportunity to obtain an additional two years of deportation protection and legal work authorization.
DO NOT DELAY.
Financial assistance may be available to help cover the $495 renewal application fee. See below for more details.
I strongly disagree and formally denounce the Trump administration’s decision to rescind the DACA program. The program will be phased out as each recipient’s DACA status and employment authorization document (EAD) expire. Again, some DACA recipients will be allowed to renew their application for an additional two years but must act immediately.
I encourage you to review the information below and share with others.
Sincerely,
Timothy P. White, Chancellor
Important Information About Your DACA Application
If your DACA expires on or before March 5, 2018, you may renew your DACA application.
Your DACA renewal application and renewal fee of $495 should be submitted as soon as possible and in sufficient time so that it is received by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) no later than October 5, 2017. Applications received after that date will be rejected.
Information about application filing locations can be found here. We recommend you use a method of delivery that confirms your application and filing fee are received on or before October 5, 2017. We also recommend that you maintain a copy of this confirmation for your records.
If you need assistance completing your application, free legal support services are available here.
Additionally, the Mission Asset Fund is providing 2,000 Dreamers with scholarships of $495 to renew their DACA permits. To apply, visit www.lc4daca.org/.
You will need to complete a questionnaire and provide your employment authorization document (EAD) card. You will receive a $495 check payable to the Department of Homeland Security. It may take 48 hours to have a check issued and delivered to you, so do not delay in making the request.
For more information about the rescission and additional resources, click here.
Update, Sept. 13: The Mission Asset Fund, with support from the Weingart Foundation, will provide $500,000 in grants to cover the cost of renewing the DACA applications of CSU, UC and California community college students.
The Mission Asset Fund, a Bay Area nonprofit that works to build financially sustainable communities and families, will distribute the funds in the form of $495 grants to cover the renewal application fee for students whose DACA permits expire on or before March 5, 2018 and who are applying for a renewal.
Starting today, students in need of financial support for their DACA renewal applications are urged to apply for a grant on the Mission Asset Fund’s website, http://lc4daca.org/. Grants will be distributed on a first come, first served basis. The Mission Asset Fund has an expedited procedure that will get checks processed within one business day.
Donors who want to support DACA students can do so here.
Update, Sept. 5: An updated FAQ page regarding the DACA recission is available on the CSU's website. A letter to the California Congressional Delegation from California’s higher education leaders can be viewed here.
The following is a statement released this afternoon by Sonoma State University President Judy K. Sakaki:
Dear Faculty, Students and Staff:
I am dismayed and saddened by today’s news that the federal government plans to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. DACA has allowed so many talented students in California – who came to the U.S. as young children – to pursue their dreams of a better life through education, work and service.
I am deeply committed to the success of all of our DACA students who earned their spot at Sonoma State. Today’s federal action does not change California laws that positively impact DACA students, including AB 540 and state funding for the California Dream Act. Likewise, DACA students in the CSU will continue with the same enrollment, tuition and financial aid eligibility policies, since these CSU policies are not based on DACA status.
We will support our DACA students, within the law, and help them make progress in their lives. Harriet Tubman once said, “Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.” We have a long journey ahead, but I believe that by working together with strength, patience and passion we will indeed realize positive change in our country and make it more open to the dreams of our talented undocumented students. We must also urge members of Congress to work toward a solution for our dreamers.
I share Chancellor White’s disappointment in today’s decision and I care deeply about our DACA students and employees. I encourage those in need of support to reach out to the services listed below. Thank you.
Respectfully,
Judy K. Sakaki, President
SSU UndocuResource Center, Salazar 1060, Mariana Martinez, Ph.D.
SSU Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS), 1088 Stevenson Hall, (707) 664-2153
CSU Chancellor’s Office Resources and Guidance, including list of legal support services
The following is a statement released this morning by CSU Chancellor Timothy White:
Dear CSU community,
I was deeply disappointed by this morning’s decision to rescind the Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. This program enabled thousands of academically qualified Californians to pursue their dreams at California State University campuses, and was widely acknowledged as a strategic benefit to our state and, indeed, our nation. I am joining with colleagues throughout the United States to urge Congress to pursue legislation that will restore the heart of this forward-thinking program in a timely manner.
The university’s enrollment and tuition policies are not based on DACA status so enrollment, tuition and financial aid for students is not impacted by the ending of the program. Additionally, state funding under the California Dream Act is not based on DACA status and will not change.
Our mission to provide excellent educational opportunities to all Californians shall not waver. We will continue to vigorously pursue the CSU’s commitment to advance and extend knowledge, learning and culture; to provide opportunities for individuals to develop intellectually, personally and professionally; and to prepare educated and responsible alumni who are ready and able to contribute to California’s culture and economy. To that end, I will continue to advocate for our current and future students and employees who are affected by this unfortunate development.
I encourage our DACA students to explore information recently posted here to learn more about your rights, the potential effect of the DACA repeal, and the steps we are taking to assist with the completion of your educational pursuits. This website, which also has information about legal support services, will be updated with any new information as soon as it is available.
To our wonderful CSU employees impacted by this revocation, I am troubled and dismayed that without any new federal action the CSU will be required to end the employment of some of its DACA recipients as early as March 6, 2018. While our hope is that members of Congress will pass legislation restoring the protections afforded by DACA, if they fail to act timely, regretfully, there are no options to allow CSU to continue to employ you. I am troubled by this uncertainty and the potential loss of your contributions, creativity, energy and expertise, but I am optimistic that Congress will act to address the issue. Campus Human Resource Officers and AVPs/Deans of Faculty are available to assist faculty and staff, Student Affairs will provide support to students, and Systemwide Human Resources and the Office of General Counsel will continue to provide information and additional resources. Faculty, staff and students are encouraged to utilize the Employee Assistance Programs programs and counseling centers on their respective campuses.
Again, let me express my personal disappointment toward this action that will have such a profoundly negative impact on our nation, our state, our university, and so many of our colleagues, students and friends. I hope you’ll join me in urging members of Congress to work towards a long-term solution.
Original story as follows
The White House announced this morning that President Trump has ordered an end to DACA, the Obama-era program protecting more than 800,000 young undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States as children from deportation. He is calling on Congress to replace the policy with legislation before DACA is scheduled to expire on March 5, 2018. In light of that action, this recent FAQ supplied by the California State University provides some useful information. Additional updates will be posted as more details become available.
A list of Sonoma State resources for undocumented students can be found here.