Sacramento State student government donates $10K to DACA renewal fund

Sacramento State Associated Students Inc. has donated $10,000 to the university’s Dreamer Resource Student Emergency Grant Fund to help students in danger of being deported.

The fund pays for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals renewal applications as well as other miscellaneous costs students with tenuous immigration status may incur. U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced last month that the federal government intends to terminate the program, commonly referred to as DACA, though President Donald Trump later said Congress would have a six-month window to determine an alternative solution.

“Regardless of the fate of the DACA program, ASI is committed to supporting, empowering, and advocating for the rights and needs of our students,” said Mia Kagianas, Sacramento State ASI president, in a university news release. “ASI is prepared to support students who are impacted by the outcome of the program.”

The $10,000 comes from ASI’s rainy day fund, Sacramento State director of student engagement and outreach Reuben Greenwald said. Kagianas authored the resolution, which was approved by the student government board of directors.

DACA renewal applications cost $495 per person, per the National Immigration Law Center. Residents whose permits expire on or before March 5 must reapply by Thursday.

An estimated 800,000 young adults in America legally go to school or work through DACA, including about 1,000 Sacramento State students, according to the university’s Dreamer Resource Center.

Editor’s note: This story was changed Oct. 4 to correct the cost of DACA renewal applications.

This story was originally published October 3, 2017 at 9:08 AM with the headline "Sacramento State student government donates $10K to DACA renewal fund."