• November 2017 • 13
EDUCATION
PVCC GROUP ORGANIZES EFFORTS TO HELP DACA STUDENTS
Now, many DACA students are anticipating for their applications for renewal to be processed, while Congress is deciding the future of the program. As of Oct. 3, The Department of Homeland Security will stop issuing any new applications for DACA program, according to CNN. No students will lose their status before the program expires, and all applications received before the announcement will be processed, CNN reported.
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Olave-Rodriguez mentioned PVCC has one of the strongest leadership training among the Maricopa Community Colleges, which helped the affected students. Some DACA students had meetings with administration and leadership and are ready to stand up for other DACA students. The DACA event was a brainstorming session on what could be done to help DACA students and how to implement that, according to OlaveRodriguez.
Atchison mentioned attendees of the DACA event came up with many ideas to help, like forming scholarships or doing book drives where stu-
Atchison was also saddened by the decision, especially because DACA kids were brought here not by their own choosing. They had to leave because there was something going on in their country or hometown, and their parents felt like they need to take them someplace where they can have a potential in life.
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Duncan said he was not surprised by Trump’s decision. He had a sense that is where Trump would have to go, given his political base. Howev-
“We are doing what we can here,” said Camila Olave-Rodriguez, a sophomore at PVCC and a worker at Student Life and Leadership. “But most of the stuff is not personal enough for DACA students, not everyone knows who they are.”
“How can a college help other than accepting students for who they are?” said Victor Atchison, a former PVCC student who is still actively involved in Student Life and Leadership at PVCC. “Everyone is here to get an education. DACA students pay their way through college, they work, they pay taxes, just like any other American citizen.”
dents who don’t need their old books can donate them to DACA students.
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“Anger. Sadness. And just frustration,” said Rowdy Duncan, a Student Life and Leadership specialist at PVCC, regarding his reaction to Trump’s decision. “It has been much more difficult since I have become much more personally connected with folks that have DACA. The closer you are to someone that is affected, the deeper you feel it.”
Duncan along with a non-profit organization Aliento planned a Civil Conversations Series: DACA Allies Training at PVCC, bringing people together and organizing help for DACA students. Aliento focuses on helping people who are directly impacted by the unjust laws of immigration. Currently, Aliento is offering scholarships to DACA students to cover their renewal fees because these funds cannot come out of financial aid that the college offers, according to Duncan.
The Conversation Series focused on educating attendees on what DACA is, its benefits and downfalls, as well as connecting DACA students with people who can help – bankers, scholarship providers, and other students. Duncan said many attendees were willing to help DACA students with simple things they struggle with like opening a bank account or a credit card.
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Tuesday, Oct. 3, Trump’s administration formally announced the end of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. CNN reported the program had protected nearly 800,000 young undocumented immigrants brought to the US as children from deportation. Even though Trump made a decision to end the program, he gave Congress an extension to preserve the program’s protections. If the Congress does not act before the set date, nearly 300,000 people could begin to lose their status in 2018, and more than 320,000 would lose their status in 2019, according to CNN.
er, many students were saddened and uncertain about their future.
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ith Trump’s decision to end DACA, a small group at Paradise Valley Community College organizes efforts to help DACA students.
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