CSCU President Ojakian Supports federal BRIDGE Act for Undocumented Students
On Friday, Connecticut State College and University (CSCU) System President Mark Ojakian wrote a letter to the CT Congressional Delegation, expressing his support for the BRIDGE (Bar Removal of Individuals who Dream and Grow our Economy) Act. The letter was signed by all 17 Presidents of the CSCU System. CT Students for a Dream (C4D) is encouraged by the support of CSUS to protect DACA beneficiaries amid increasing anxiety and fear among the immigrant community in Connecticut in light of anticipated anti-immigrant policies of the upcoming presidential administration.
The BRIDGE Act, a bipartisan bill introduced by Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), on January 12th in the 115th Congress, would extend “provisional protective presence” for three years to any undocumented immigrant who meets the same basic criteria of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), issued by the Obama Administration in 2012. The three-year period would end three years after the bill becomes law. It also would impose restrictions on the sharing of information in DACA and provisional protected presence applications with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for purposes of immigration enforcement.
Yeninar Cortes, ECSU undocumented student leader of CT Students for a Dream:
“The support of the CSCU System for the BRIDGE Act highlights that the CSCU System is committed to supporting undocumented immigrant students and is a testament to the moral and economic imperative that our leaders have to protect the estimated 800,000 DACA beneficiaries around the country and nearly 10,000 in the state of Connecticut. DACA has enabled me and thousands of others like me to work to support our families and to live without the fear of deportation. While policies like DACA and the BRIDGE Act would help protect undocumented students and enable us to pursue an education in the CSCU system and our state, the fact remains that neither is a permanent solution. Millions of undocumented immigrants, including my parents, will continue to live in fear and at risk of deportation despite such policies.”
Camila Bortolleto, C4D Policy and Advocacy Coordinator:
“CT Students for a Dream is committed not only to the protection of DACA, but also to fighting mass deportation, militarization of our border, and other atrocious policies that aim to criminalize communities of color. Immigrant youth will continue to fight to protect the victories we’ve won and keep organizing until we win”
“We look forward to working with the CSU System in ensuring all students are able to access higher education in our state. We encourage CSCU System to make their campuses welcoming to undocumented students by training staff to support undocumented students on campus and supporting legislation that would equalize access to student-generated institutional financial aid at CT public colleges and universities to all students regardless of immigration status.”
Connecticut Students for a Dream is a youth-led statewide network fighting for the rights of undocumented youth and their families.
www.ct4adream.org
