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Editor's Note: Jennifer J. Raab is the thirteenth and current president of Hunter College at New York City University. She previously served as chair of the New York City Monument Preservation Commission. The opinions expressed in this comment are yours. See more opinion articles on CNe.com/opinion
(CNN) - Isabel (not her real name), a first-year student from Hunter College born in Colombia, came to this country when she was four years old. Since then he has lived in a Queens apartment that he shares with his parents and sister. To help finance her college education, Isabel works part-time as a receptionist at a veterinary hospital that is increasingly understaffed by the covid-19 crisis. Isabel is helping out in any way she can, often with pets who are anxious as vets treat them. She works more hours than ever, juggling to meet the demands of her job and the challenge of completing her academic year with a high GPA. But with her mother unemployed and her father's working hours reduced, as well as her job in jeopardy, Isabel's life is now more precarious than ever.
She lives in perpetual fear of being deported from this country, where she hopes to one day work in a profession that urgently needs new recruits: nursing. Worst of all, the federal government has excluded her from student emergency funds under the Coronavirus Economic Aid, Relief and Security Act (CARES). That's because Isabel is a dreamer, or "dreamer," whose status here could be protected under the long-standing Law on Development, Aid, and Education for Minors, if only Congress passed it.
As president of Hunter College in New York City, I am concerned about students in our own school, and in the city and country, who are struggling to complete their studies while trying to stay and be safe during this pandemic.
"Dreamers" have a particular burden as they await an impending Supreme Court decision that will have a major impact on their future. The 2012 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) decree, signed by then President Barack Obama, protected thousands of young dreamers from deportation and allowed them to attend universities and get jobs in United States. But in 2017, Donald Trump's White House rescinded DACA. Since then, the future of this program and its nearly 800,000 beneficiaries have been under constant threat.
In the coming weeks, as Isabel and thousands of dreamers continue to serve and protect their communities, the superior court is expected to issue its ruling on whether DACA protection can be removed by a subsequent decree. The Court's ruling has the potential to change the lives of Isabel and "dreamers" like her. At best, a negative ruling can finally compel Congress to protect young immigrants from deportation by legislating their right to live and work freely in the only country that many have known.
With the pandemic affecting our lives, we are more grateful than ever for the approximately 27,000 "dreamers" working in healthcare as doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and paramedics. The covid-19 crisis has highlighted their bravery, tenacity and generosity in caring for those affected by the virus. We are also aware of the contributions of heroic dreamers who work tirelessly to keep us afloat serving grocery stores, pharmacies and, as in the case of Isabel, veterinary hospitals that care for our beloved pets.
READ: 10 facts about immigrants in the fight against the pandemic, as Trump announces restrictions
Along with many of my colleagues, I am ready to continue helping dreamers regardless of the Supreme Court ruling, as we have for years. Hunter College established an office in our Student Affairs Division to support undocumented students and provide scholarships through a partnership with TheDream.US organization . We created the Eva Kastan Grove Scholars Program that provides scholarships to undocumented students, immigrants, or children of immigrants.
The university holds DACA renewal fairs to help students meet critical application deadlines and pay the $ 495 renewal fee. During these difficult times, it also provides emergency funds, laptops, and access to our mobile food pantry to all students, regardless of status. All of this hands-on support helps “dreamers” advance their educational goals, shape their own future, and contribute to our communities for years to come.
Now, more than ever, the United States has reason to thank the dreamers . We cannot allow a ruthless interpretation of the CARES Act or a potentially negative Supreme Court ruling to derail their fates.
Let's keep the pressure on Congress to find a positive resolution for the "dreamers" who have faced challenges and uncertainty about their status since they came to this country as children. All leaders in higher education must unapologetically support these young men and women and assist them in any way possible to complete their training.
We are proud of every dreamer who chose to pursue his American dream at Hunter College . The three branches of the federal government - the executive, the legislative and the judicial - should also applaud their value during the pandemic and pave the way for their productive future in our country, which is also their country.
coronaviruscovid-19DACADreamers United States
