Student gov approves $10K 'emergency fund' for DACA students

The University of Southern California’s student government approved a $10,000 emergency fund to assist DACA students in the wake of President Trump’s decision to end the program.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced Tuesday that the Trump administration would be revoking the Obama-era program that affords protection for students brought to the country illegally by their parents.

“There is nothing compassionate about the failure to enforce immigration laws. Enforcing the law saves lives, protects communities and taxpayers, and prevents human suffering,” Sessions remarked. “The compassionate thing to do is to end the lawlessness, and enforce our laws.”

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In response, USC’s Undergraduate Student Government (USG) approved a $10,000 allocation that very night to establish an emergency fund to assist those affected by the decision, particularly those DACA recipients seeking a renewal of their status in the next six months.

“Any USC students who are already on DACA and have a renewal date in the next six months are being instructed to complete their renewal documentation before October 5 of this year,” a proposal in favor of the fund states, according to The Daily Trojan.

In fact, the emergency fund will be specifically reserved for students financially unable to pay for the $500 renewal application.

At Tuesday’s meeting, USG President Austin Dunn vowed to make it his “absolute personal mission to ensure that every student’s needs are met.”

Campus Reform reached out to Dunn for elaboration on his comment, but did not receive a response, though University President C.L. Max Nikias expressed similar sentiments in a September 4 statement.

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“As president of one of the most global and diverse university communities in the world, I am deeply concerned about the adverse impact that potential DACA changes might have on our DACA and undocumented students,” he wrote, promising to continue to provide “free, confidential legal advice” upon request.

“Every individual deserves these same opportunities, and I am committed to ensuring the success and well-being of all members of our community so that the University of Southern California remains a global beacon of possibility, creativity, and compassion,” Nikias concluded.

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