On August 30, 2017, the CSSA Cal State Student Association wrote a letter to President Trump regarding DACA.
The Honorable Donald J. Trump
President of the United States
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, D.C. 20502
President Trump, The California State Student Association, the organization that represents the students of the California State University (CSU) system, writes to express our support for maintaining the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, as well as continuing the program for future enrollees. The program is critical to the lives of 800,000 young immigrants, many of whom are students enrolled at the CSU and who only know the United States of America as their home. Their right to remain here is something that the vast majority of Americans support because they understand their unique value to this country.
Individuals enrolled in DACA were children when they were brought to this country by their parents or relatives. They did not choose to break any law. For many of them their undocumented status came as a surprise as they have always seen themselves as Americans. They do not know another home country, as they are products of our education systems, have been raised in our communities, and have learned the same values as all Americans. They value hard work, giving back, as well as the many opportunities this country has to offer.
DACA is a program that acknowledges the difficult challenge these individuals face. It gives people a chance to continue their lives as the federal government legislates a fair, just, and legal immigration policy. In this agreement, DACA recipients willfully submit sensitive and personal information about themselves and adhere to background checks so that they can have an opportunity to continue their pursuit of the American dream. Eliminating the program would be a violation of the trust they place in our government to honor its promises.
In addition, a key component of DACA is the right to work legally. The people seeking this benefit do so to live lawful lives in which they contribute to the workforce and their communities. Deporting the approximately 800,000 people in the program would not only have deep personal costs to these individuals, but would ultimately come at a great cost to our country. The CATO Institute estimates that deporting them would cost over $60 billion in lost tax revenue and result in $280 billion reduction in economic growth over the next decade. Lastly, many DACA recipients have pursued and obtained a college degree. Ending DACA would force these individuals back into the shadows.
We hope that you choose to treat these incredible individuals with heart and maintain DACA. They are not a threat to public safety; rather, their values, commitment to contribute to their communities, and dedication to bettering themselves exemplifies what it means to be American.
Sincerely,
Maggie White
President, Cal State Student Association
August 30, 2017
