Moberly Area Community College is extending support to its 14 students protected by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.
This move comes in response to a Tuesday announcement by U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions that DACA will come to an end.
Moberly President Jeff Lashley said DACA students in the college are being set up for one-on-one meetings with advisers to help them navigate whatever happens next.
Lashley also said he and other college officials are monitoring the situation closely and do not anticipate any immediate changes for their students.
The college has seven locations, according to its website. Lashley said the DACA students are not concentrated at any one place.
The UM System offered support and guidance for its more than 35 students protected by DACA, according to a Tuesday news release. The Cambio Center, a research and outreach facility at MU geared toward Latino immigrants, said it echoed the statement.
The Obama-era DACA program offers renewable two-year work permits to undocumented immigrants brought into the U.S. as children.
Sessions said the federal government is no longer accepting new applications for DACA. He said it will process any outstanding applications and uphold the status of current permits until they expire.
DACA recipients with permits expiring before March 5, 2018, will have until Oct. 5, 2017 to re-apply.
At a news conference, Sessions explained the decision of President Donald Trump and said the program is “an unconstitutional exercise of authority” that must be rescinded.
Supervising editor is Elizabeth Brixey: brixeye@missouri.edu, 882-2632.