This story has been updated to reflect the correct number of DACA students at Trevecca. There are around 130 DACA students. An earlier version of this story was incorrect. We regret the error.
By Brooklyn Dance and Blake Stewart
President Donald Trump on Tuesday announced the end of a program started in 2012 to protect young undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States as children.
DACA, or the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, was rescinded by the administration but the President gave congress six months to preserve some sort of protection via legislation.
The move affects around 130 Trevecca students and more than 800,000 students nation-wide.
Trevecca administrators and faculty and staff were anticipating a decision today and made space available for talking and praying in TSAC.
“Dr. (Yanice) Mendez, faculty and staff will be in TSAC all afternoon if you need us,” Brodrick Thomas, Trevecca’s coordinator of student engagement and diversity tweeted.
The university issued the following statement after the announcement:
As a Christian university, Trevecca exists to educate all students who choose to continue their education in our community. We desire to invest in, mentor and support our students, fulfilling our mission of providing education for leadership and service. Echoing the statements issued earlier this year by the Church of the Nazarene’s Board of General Superintendents and the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) regarding DACA, we believe Christ compels us to love and care for all students, knowing all people are made in the image of God. We desire Trevecca Nazarene University to be a community characterized by love, compassion, and hospitality.
“As part of a global movement that addresses human need in more than 160 countries, we believe it inconsistent to ignore the education of our neighbors,” said Dr. Dan Boone, president of Trevecca. “There are no foreigners in the kingdom of God.”
Faculty in the social work department are coordinating a caravan to a march planned for this afternoon at Centennial Park. The march, coordinated by JUMP, Jóvenes Unidos por un Mejor Presente, and the Tennessee Immigrant and Rights Coalition will begin at Centennial Park and end at Senators Bob Corker and Lamar Alexendar’s offices.
Students, staff and faculty interested in joining can meet in the Tidwell parking lot at 3:30 p.m. today.
