Dear DePaul Community,
On Feb. 21, Chicago’s
Cardinal Blase Cupich shared a statement to invite participation today in a
National Call-in Day for Dreamers and to urge legislators to address the
fast-approaching deadline for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals
program, known as DACA. I support Cardinal Cupich’s initiative and ask that you
consider participating, if you so choose.
Please consider making a
call to your member of Congress. You can find your representative on this website. You
can find Cardinal Cupich’s statement below.
The era of uncertainty
around DACA continues. Each of the meetings during my recent visit to Capitol
Hill included DACA at the top of the agenda.
I want to take this
opportunity to reaffirm that DePaul has always welcomed students regardless of
their citizenship status. We will maintain an unwavering commitment to
undocumented students who choose this university for their education.
DePaul also will continue
to make available resources to assist if you have questions or know of students
who are uncertain about the implications of their legal status:
The
DePaul College of Law Croak Community Legal Clinic maintains a list of immigration law resources.
The DePaul Asylum and
Immigration Law Clinic can assist students and their families. They
have also developed a referral list of low-cost legal service providers
who provide assistance in DACA cases and have engaged DePaul College of
Law alumni to provide one-on-one consultations for DACA and undocumented
students. For appointments, students can contact Jenny Freundt at jfreundt@depaul.edu.
University Counseling
Services and University
Ministry both stand ready to support students more personally, as they
balance the stress that such uncertainty brings.
More broadly, the DePaul’s Immigrant and Refugee
webpage and DREAM
webpage list both internal and external resources for undocumented and
immigrant students. The DREAM resource guide,
developed by DePaul's Undocumented Student Working Group, provides
scholarships and financial aid resources and support services at DePaul
and in the greater Chicago community.
Our students affected by
DACA are fine young people, trying to survive a challenging situation not of
their own making. They are as much a part of DePaul and Chicago as any student.
They deserve a chance to fully contribute to our culture and economy.
The experience my wife and
I had immigrating to the United States is evidence of the transformative power
of education and the good that comes from providing support to students through
trying life circumstances. I encourage the U.S. government to find a permanent
solution that helps these students realize the American dream.
Thank you for your
continued support of all DePaul’s students.
A. Gabriel Esteban, Ph.D.
Statement
of Cardinal Blase J. Cupich on the Catholic National Call-in Day to Protect
Dreamers
February 21, 2018
Last
week, we watched the Senate fail to protect young immigrants affected by the
uncertain future of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program,
which is set to end on March 5.
Given our
heritage as an immigrant community, I urge the faithful across the Archdiocese
to stand together in solidarity with our Dreamers and to join the U.S.
Conference of Catholic Bishops for a National Call-in Day for Dreamers, Monday,
February 26. I invite you to call your members of Congress, and urge them to
protect our young immigrant neighbors who want nothing more than to continue to
contribute to the nation they call home.
For more information,
please visit: http://www.usccb.org/news/2018/18-038.cfm