INDIANAPOLIS – IUPUI Chancellor Nasser H. Paydar has issued the following statement regarding today’s announcement by the Trump administration that it will terminate the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program:
“On behalf of IUPUI, I would like to express my profound disappointment regarding the Trump administration’s announcement that it will terminate the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. This decision strikes at the very core of our values as an institution of higher learning dedicated to providing an education enriched by a multiplicity of perspectives and ideas. Our hope at IUPUI is that in the next six months, Congress will work to keep the doors of opportunity open for DACA students across the nation.
“As Indiana University President Michael A. McRobbie said in his recent statement, we at IUPUI remain unwavering in our commitment to ensuring the diverse and inclusive environment that has been and will remain a vital component in the very best educations. In supporting such an environment, we welcome all IUPUI students, regardless of their background or country of origin.
“Education and research at IUPUI are greatly strengthened by the presence and contributions of a wide variety of perspectives and voices, a richness of perspective that reflects the depth and breadth of our student, faculty, and staff populations at IUPUI and speaks to the increasingly global nature of the city of Indianapolis and the state of Indiana as a whole. Our DACA students and alumni add immeasurably to that richness in the talent they bring to our campus, our city, our state, and our nation.
“I want to reassure all DACA students that we remain fully committed to ensuring a welcoming, safe, civil, and inclusive community for them and for all of our students, faculty, and staff at IUPUI. We understand that the administration’s latest decision leaves a great deal of uncertainty, and we will make every effort to better understand the decision and how we can continue to help all of our students in our role as a public university bound by federal and state laws.
“For our DACA students, and every student, all that we do at IUPUI aims toward student success. Regardless of the circumstances, we remain deeply committed to that important goal. We are preparing our students from all backgrounds and parts of the world to be active and engaged citizens, ready to contribute their talent, knowledge, and energy to improving our world. As we work together to achieve that goal, we will continue and intensify our efforts to expand access to higher education for all IUPUI students living in the United States and around the world.”
