Statement from Rockhurst University President the Rev. Thomas B. Curran, S.J., on the Decision to End the DACA Program

Rockhurst University President the Rev. Thomas B. Curran, S.J., released the following statement today about the decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program:

“As a Catholic, Jesuit institution of higher learning we are invited to accompany the most vulnerable among us. Our core value of cura personalis encourages us to see one another as companions in movement towards union with God. Hence, the president’s decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program is disheartening and disturbing.

"The hundreds of thousands of immigrants who arrived in the U.S. as children and who are affected by this decision are being denied their human dignity. They are not aliens; they are not unlawful beings; they are more than a statistic or a political bargaining chip; they are visitors who seek to become permanent residents and citizens. They fully desire to help us pursue and achieve the common good.

"I hope this recent decision prompts us to insist that the U.S. Congress swiftly secure the bipartisan legislation known as the DREAM Act of 2017 as a humane, lasting solution. And, may it be fully consistent with the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights (1948) that codified the moral imperative for the care for all of our brothers and sisters, our companions on this earthly pilgrimage.”

Students seeking additional campus resources should refer to our Office of Campus Ministry, the Counseling Center, or the Office of the Dean of Students. Employees can also refer to the Office of Human Resources and the Employee Assistance Program available as part of the employee benefit package.