The Human Rights Watch Student Task Force collected over 100 signatures asking members of Congress to create a clean Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals bill on Monday.

Prior to asking students to sign petitions, the Student Task Force joined with students on the quad in a “humanity circle,” holding posters that highlighted facts about the program and testimonies from DACA recipients.

“We are here in support of DACA,”  club president Andres Walker ’18 said.  “Rescinding this policy will affect hundreds of thousands of people, many of them who are all among us.  As the Student Task Force, we gathered a bunch of signs and stories of people helped by DACA, which we hope will help raise awareness for the cause and make a change.”

In response to the Trump administration’s announcement to rescind and phase out the program, which protected undocumented immigrants who came to the US as children and request a grant of stay for work and study, the Student Task Force sent petitions to Senator Chuck Schumer, Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

“I was really happy that the Student Task Force made it so easy to become a supporter of DACA,” Michael Lehrhoff ’20 said.  “It’s really important, especially with our current political climate.  I really support Dreamers and kids who come to the country young and grow up here.”

Walker said the Student Task Force wishes to advocate for human rights and help make a change in any way possible.

“We agree with Mayor of Los Angeles Eric Garcetti that DACA recipients are all of us in the only country they know,” Walker said.  “They belong here, and we will fight for them to stay.”