To DACA students:

The Northern Star Editorial Board stands behind you and your right to an education in the country you call home.

White House officials announced the decision to repeal the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program Sept. 5. The program allowed undocumented immigrants who arrived in the country as children the opportunity to register and remain in the country and receive a two-year working permit if those registered met certain guidelines.

In the aftermath of this announcement, acting President Lisa Freeman released a statement to the campus via email Sept. 5.

“To our undocumented students: You belong at NIU,” Freeman said in the email. “We want you here, and we are prepared to help you navigate how to continue on your educational journey.”

The Editorial Board fully supports this statement and would like to echo its sentiment in our own words to offer our personal form of support.

Some of the requirements for DACA recipients are: they must have come to the United States before their 16th birthday; they have to have continuously lived in the U.S. since June 15, 2007 up to the present and must be under the age of 31 as of June 15, 2012, according to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. This means most DACA recipients have lived and grown up in the United States for the majority of their lives.

You deserve to pursue your future without the burden of worrying whether you will have to start over in a place you don’t know. You have worked hard to get where you are, and those who do not know your struggle have no right to assume they know what is best for you.

We invite you to speak your truth on the pages of the Northern Star. There are many ways we can help you get your voice out to the public. Contact us, and we will write your story based on your words and your experiences, or write us a letter and have the words come straight from you. We would also be happy to have you join our staff and help us tell other people’s stories, as well.

Whatever the path you choose to take, please know the Northern Star will support you and will remain a resource for your message.