DACA Teachers & Students

Over the summer, I met a teacher who revealed to me that she was what she calls DACAmented. DACA stands for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, and it is a policy that Obama ushered in to grant temporary deportation reprieves and work permits to people who came to the United States as children. She is one of a group of 100 teachers that Teach For America has placed in the classroom for a two-year teaching commitment, and her story is one that many of my students can relate to as DACA recipients themselves. An article in Education Week speaks to the concerns that many of these teachers are facing in the aftermath of the election.

Jose Gonzalez is a 6^th grade math teacher in Los Angeles who graduated from UPenn and received recognition from the White House for his work with students. Now, he and many other DACA recipients, including teachers who are making these phenomenal gains in the classroom, are at risk. Over 700,000 undocumented immigrants are waiting to see what the future of DACA will be, as 45 promised to repeal the executive order during his campaign. 45 said, “DACA is a very, very difficult subject for me… It’s one of the most difficult subjects I have because you have these incredible kids.” However, this is in stark contrast to the promise to repeal Obama's executive order.

Another pending concern is the increase in immigration enforcement raids across the country. In the Atlanta area alone there have been at least two major raids over the past two weeks in the Buford Highway area. Hundreds of undocumented immigrants were arrested in at least 6 states, and even a DACA recipient was threatened with deportation this past week in spite of his legal protection. 

As an educational leader, what do you think you would do if you had DACAmented teachers on your staff? What kind of support (emotional included) do you think you could provide in order to make your school a safer space for them in light of the threat of executive order and potential repeal of DACA? 

With the positions you have now, what kind of support can you provide to your DACA students right now in light of the ongoing raids and executive orders that are affecting countless families and communities?