FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, February 26, 2018
SACNAS is deeply concerned by the cancellation of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA) and about the future of the nearly 800,000 DACA recipients, 90% of whom are Latino.
An estimated 241,000 DACA-eligible students had enrolled in college as of 2014. (Source) In a recent SACNAS membership survey, 3.3% of respondents identified themselves as DACA recipients.
SACNAS works toward achieving true diversity in STEM fields by making the STEM workforce, including leadership positions, reflective of U.S. population demographics. DACA recipients are an important part of the American STEM community.
Aside from upending the livelihood and family lives of hundreds of thousands of young people by deporting them and forcing them out of the workforce, ending DACA will create a tremendous disruption for businesses, including 72% of the top-25 Fortune-500 companies who count DACA recipients among their employees, and will send shockwaves through most state economies. (Source)
SACNAS stands in support of our “Dreamers” and fully supports the Dream Act. This legislation, if passed and implemented, would provide a permanent solution for these young people and be an important step forward in enacting comprehensive immigration reform legislation.
About SACNAS
SACNAS is an inclusive organization with a 45-year history of fostering the success of Chicano/Hispanic & Native American scientists, from college students to professionals, in attaining advanced degrees, careers and positions of leadership in science.
SACNAS serves approximately 6,000 members, a larger community of 25,000, and with 115 SACNAS student and professional chapters throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico.