State representatives react to Trump administration rolling back DACA

Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced Tuesday that the DACA program will begin to be rolled back. No more applications will be accepted, but current holders are able to renew a 2-year permit if they do so in the next month.

DACA, or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, allows certain illegal immigrants that entered the country as minors to stay with a work permit. The program offers two year permits, which must be renewed or the holder is subject to deportation.

According to the Migration Policy Institute, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has accepted over 880,000 DACA applications. Missouri has accepted fewer than 4,000 applications, which is less than half a percent of all accepted applications.

In 2015 Missouri passed a law that prohibited DACA students from receiving scholarships for school. It also required schools to charge students the out-of-state or international tuition rate.

State Representative Scott Fitzpatrick (R) said this is a matter of “rule of law,” and that the repeal is “good for the country.” On the contrary, State Rep. Lauren Arthur (D) defends DACA permit holders, saying they “are contributing members of society, and I would ask why are we not allowing them to achieve their full potential as Americans.”

The President and Chancellors of the University of Missouri system released a statement following the White House’s announcement.