Two Georgia colleges and universities have sided in support of young immigrants seeking federal financial aid to college and other benefits in a case scheduled to come before the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday.
The two private institutions in DeKalb County - Oglethorpe University and Agnes Scott College - last month joined 165 colleges and universities nationwide in signing a brief in support of students called “Dreamers” who are part of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.
The federal government created a program under then-President Barack Obama that allowed “Dreamers,” to receive a renewable two-year period of deferred action from deportation and become eligible for a work permit. An estimated 700,000 people, including 21,100 from Georgia, are in the DACA program.
President Donald Trump has praised Dreamers for their hardworking spirit, but sought when he took office in 2017 to phase out the Obama-era program as part of his immigration policy. The Trump administration has battled with various courts over portions of his plans. It’s now before the nation’s highest court.
The program has divided Georgia for years, drawing outrage from the state’s top Republicans and fierce support from Atlanta’s political leadership.
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