Pre-reading questions:
- Do you want to study abroad? Why?
- What do you think about immigrants studying in your country?
- What do you think about this quote by Aldous Huxley?: “To travel is to discover that everyone is wrong about other countries”.
Colleges in the United States are asking undocumented immigrant students studying abroad to return home before President-elect Donald Trump takes office in January. As part of Trump’s campaign to deport 2 to 3 million undocumented immigrants, he may be able to cancel the Obama Administration’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program which gives young, undocumented immigrants temporary protection against deportation.
California State University advised its 23 campuses to tell DACA beneficiaries to return to the country before January 20. The advisory suggests that DACA beneficiaries abroad may not be allowed to re-enter United States and students who plan to study abroad next year must think twice of the possible risk. More than 200 colleges and universities have signed a petition to continue and expand DACA, including leaders at UC Berkeley, UC Davis, UC Santa Cruz, Santa Clara University, the University of San Francisco, and the University of the Pacific, among others.
Vocabulary:
immigrant- non-citizen
temporary- not permanent
deportation – send out of the country
beneficiary – recipient of benefits
petition – a formal message requesting to an official person
Comprehension Questions:
- When will Donald Trump assume the presidency?
- What does the acronym, “DACA” mean?
- What does DACA do?
- What might happen to DACA beneficiaries abroad?
- How many colleges and universities petitioned to continue and expand DACA?
Express Your Opinion:
- What do you think about President-elect Donald Trump’s campaign to deport immigrants?
- Why do you think DACA beneficiaries should go back to the U.S. as soon as possible?
- Why do you think some people study abroad?