Resources for Undocumented Students (DACA)

As a Catholic and Jesuit University, Fordham values the dignity of all members of the University community. For our entire 175-year history, we have kept faith with the vision of Archbishop John Hughes who founded Fordham to serve immigrants and their sons, daughters, grandsons, and granddaughters. The resources listed below are to aid our undocumented students. We stand with you and will do all we can to be effective advocates for you.

UPDATE: January 16, 2018

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced Saturday, January 13, 2018, that it would resume accepting renewal requests for individuals eligible. The shift in policy is a result of a nationwide injunction issued by Judge William Alsup of the Federal District Court in San Francisco.  

In accordance with this order, the DACA program has been temporarily restored to its status prior to the September 5, 2017, rescission, with two noted distinctions. 

    1.    Initial applications for DACA protections will not be accepted (only renewal applications).

    2.    USCIS is not required to consider or review advance parole (travel) requests for DACA recipients.


With this order in place, individuals who have previously held DACA protections which have lapsed may be eligible to renew their protections.  Recipients, whose protection expires on or after March 5, 2018, are eligible to file renewal requests if they meet the other filing guidelines.  

The situation surrounding DACA is ever changing. In the coming weeks, the Trump Administration may take steps to appeal the injunction as Congress works to solidify the protections in a bipartisan bill.  Please check back to our website for updates as more information and resources become available. 

UPDATE: September 07, 2017

On September 5, 2017, the Trump Administration announced that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program is being rescinded. For details, see the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) September 5 Memorandum of Rescission of DACA. This policy reversal is extremely troubling since it puts our DACA students’ futures in jeopardy. The DHS memorandum rescinding DACA provides the following as part of the wind-down of the program:

  • No new DACA applications will be processed after September 5, 2017.
  • All applications filed prior to September 5, 2017 will be processed.
  • DHS will accept DACA renewals until October 5, 2017 from current beneficiaries whose benefits will expire between Sept. 5, 2017 and March 5, 2018.
  • DACA recipients will no longer receive permission to travel abroad and may not be able to re-enter the country should they leave.
  • No one’s DACA benefits will be revoked before the program expires in six months.

It appears that absent congressional action, in six months DACA beneficiaries will begin to lose protections from deportation and permits to work in the United States. Fordham University stands by the members of its community affected by the decision to rescind DACA, and is committed to the following:

  • Fordham will continue to protect the privacy of student information and records from any unauthorized disclosure in accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
  • While Fordham representatives, including the Fordham Public Safety, will comply with lawfully issued subpoenas and warrants, it is neither the university’s practice nor expectation to function as an agent of the federal government regarding enforcement of federal immigration laws.
  • Fordham will, as an institution of higher education, continue to embrace its designation as a “Sensitive Location” as defined by DHS policy, which means that the DHS will generally avoid engaging in certain enforcement actions on campus (e.g. arrests, interviews, searches, and surveillance).

Fordham University has been steadfast in support for the DACA program in our advocacy efforts in both Washington D.C. and Albany. We will continue to actively and aggressively engage federal policymakers in an effort to either reverse the order or secure a legislative remedy. We are urging the White House and our elected officials in Washington to support legislative proposals. We ask the members of our community to assist in our efforts. If interested, please contact Lesley Massiah-Arthur, Associate Vice President for Government Relations and Urban Affairs, at [email protected].

For more information on the DACA rescission, please visit the resources below.

The following resources are available to the members of the Fordham community impacted by the rescission of the DACA program.