Last fall, Whitman became the first liberal arts school in the nation to issue a statement in support of undocumented students. This fall, the college is putting action behind its words by providing funding for undocumented Whitman students applying for deferral of deportation under the Department of Homeland Security’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
President Obama announced on Friday, June 15 that his administration would stop deporting undocumented students in the U.S. who meet certain requirements. As many Hispanic and Latino communities celebrated the news, Whitman’s undocumented student community reflected on what these changes would mean for them.
The Undocumented Students Statement proposal will be brought in front of the Board of Trustees Thursday, Nov. 17. If the proposal passes, starting in 2012, all newly printed college catalogs will include a statement in support of undocumented students on campus. The statement will include the administration's willingness to admit and provide private financial aid to undocumented students who apply for Whitman.
Many of the eight undocumented immigrant students at Whitman College struggle with tuition, keeping their status secret and the thought of what they'll do after graduating.
