Area college presidents rebuke Trump administration plan to end DACA

Area college presidents are already rebuking an expected announcement from the Trump administration that could end a program protecting people who illegally immigrated to the U.S. when they were children.

Attorney General Jeff Sessiosns is expected to announce today that in six months the administration will end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, commonly referred to as DACA, according to the Associated Press.

The policy was started under former president Barack Obama.

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University of Dayton president Eric Spina posted a tweet on Monday saying that the school would stand by students protected by DACA, who are frequently referred to as “Dreamers.”

“We stand with our Dreamers for gifts and talents they offer to U.S.,” Spina said on Twitter. “We urge President and Congress to take appropriate action to keep them here.”

Just hours after Spina’s tweet, Sinclair Community College president Steven Johnson also weighed in via the social media website. Johnson retweeted an article from the Wall Street Journal and asked for congress to pass legislation.

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“Destroying DACA will needlessly derail valuable young lives in the U.S. - the most crass of political exploitation. Congress please help!!!” Johnson tweeted.

Most recently Wright State University president Cheryl Schrader also expressed support for people protected by DACA.

“#DACA students are important members of our community, and we urge congress to approve legislation and allow their contributions to continue,” Schrader tweeted.

Presidents of other area colleges have yet to weigh in online.

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