(Posted June 24, 2020)

HUNTINGDON, Pa. —  Juniata College, along with colleges and universities across the country, and supporters of higher education, is gratified by the decision of the Supreme Court to uphold the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. 

While uncertainty still remains, this decision is a step toward restoring hope encouragement to the more than 700,000 DACA recipients.  

“In 2016, Juniata College joined other colleges from across the country to pledge support for these ‘Dreamers,’ and I can assure you that we will remain committed to supporting the DACA program’s mission of protecting eligible immigrant youth who came to the United States when they were children and providing both education and economic opportunity,” said Juniata College President James A. Troha. 

Announced June 15, 2012, the policy was an executive branch memorandum introduced by President Barack Obama designed to allow provisions for those who arrived illegally in the United States as children to obtain two-year, renewable permits for work and various federal benefits, including those which provide access to higher education. 

DACA was rescinded by the current administration in September 2017, citing that the enactment had bypassed Congress. This action sparked several lawsuits and the issuance of injunctions at the state level, which continued DACA renewals but prohibited new applications. 

The Supreme Court of the United States agreed to hear a consolidation of the lower-court decisions of three cases related to DACA. As the culmination of the work which began in October 2019, the Supreme Court issued a ruling June 18, 2020, finding that the way in which DACA was ended was arbitrary and not justified and that it violated the Administrative Procedure Act. DACA continues to be in effect. 

Contact April Feagley at feaglea@juniata.edu or (814) 641-3131 for more information.