To the UC Davis Community:

I am gravely disappointed in today’s White House decision to end a program that allows undocumented immigrants who came to the United States as small children to fulfill their dream of a college education without fear of deportation.

Abandoning the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program runs counter to the University of California principles of open and equal access to higher education for students of all backgrounds. 

Turning our backs on these students is not who we are. At UC Davis, we open our doors to the world and give the best and brightest a chance to shine, no matter where they happened to be born.

UC Davis is home to a dedicated community of DACA students from across the globe, including Latin America, China and the Philippines. Our AB 540 and Undocumented Student Center is a model of empowerment, opportunity and equity.

These students — many of whom are the first in their families to attend a college — contribute to our rich diversity of cultures and perspectives that is integral to our success as a global university. They are paving a future for themselves and their families so they can give back to our society. UC Davis graduates who were protected from deportation under DACA have blossomed with careers in medicine, law, social work and much more. 

I stand firmly in support of these students and call on Congress to rise in defense of the DACA program to immediately pass bipartisan legislation that would provide a permanent solution for our students.

Keep the American Dream alive, for all.

Gary S. May
Chancellor