September 5, 2017
Dear UT Community,
Today’s announcement about the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program greatly impacts The University of Texas community. It will dramatically change the lives of young people who were brought to the U.S. as children, some of whom have gone on to pursue an education at UT and universities across Texas and the nation. DACA has provided an opportunity for hundreds of thousands of talented individuals to succeed and contribute to society.
In November of last year, I joined hundreds of other university presidents in signing a letter to President-elect Trump asking that DACA be maintained. And I will continue to join higher education leaders in urging the U.S. Congress to quickly pass long-term legislation to support those whom DACA has enabled — young immigrants who have spent most of their lives in the U.S.
Some of those young immigrants are UT students and they are vital members of our campus community. Each one of them is valued. Each one of them contributes to the UT experience.
The International Office is an excellent resource for support and guidance for UT students who have been covered by DACA. Further information is available through the Longhorn DREAMers project.
At The University of Texas we are defined and elevated by our students. They come from many backgrounds and experiences to learn, to benefit from the diversity of the campus, to be ambitious and to serve. UT brings people together. We don’t benefit by shutting people out.
Sincerely,
Gregory L. Fenves
President