The Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) stands in support of students protected by the Deferred Action to Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which safeguards nearly 800,000 undocumented youth from deportation as they pursue the American dream. DACA-qualified students are members of our academic communities, attend our institutions, work in our libraries, and contribute their unique perspectives to the intellectual discourse, which is vital for the success of our research and educational missions.
ACRL’s unwavering support of DACA-qualified students aligns with librarianship’s core values of democracy, intellectual freedom, diversity, and social responsibility. We believe the dissolution of DACA protections will target undocumented students unfairly for situations they did not create, will harm intellectual freedom by removing the voices of vulnerable groups from the scholarly discourse, and will jeopardize the invaluable cultural enrichment brought to our campuses by immigrant students, faculty, and staff. We also know that many college and university libraries employ students, and that DACA-protected students comprise a portion of these employees. These student employees contribute many talents and skills to our colleges and universities and, by doing so, help us meet our educational goals.
On September 5, 2017, ALA President Jim Neal responded to the news of the Trump administration’s announcement that it will end the DACA program, by stating: “We are disappointed that the protections of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program are in jeopardy. Through no fault of their own, these undocumented youth were brought to this country as children, and deserve the opportunity to contribute to our society without the fear of being deported.” We in ACRL agree passionately with this statement and join with President Neal in his appeal for Congress to find a just solution for these valued members of our academic communities.
Resources for further inquiry and action: