Immigrant Services

Dear students and staff,

You may have seen an email recently from the University about CARES Act funding to financially help students in emergency situations; I want to provide some more information and updates regarding that and other financial assistance options at MSU Denver and elsewhere.

The federal Department of Education has unfortunately limited CARES Act funding to students who are Title IV Eligible, so Permanent Residents or Citizens. At MSU Denver, President Janine Davidson and other leaders loudly oppose such anti-immigrant practices, both in the media and through lobbying efforts in the state and federal government.

To ensure that MSU Denver’s DACA, TPS, and undocumented students have access to financial assistance for housing, job loss, immigration-related expenses, or medical reasons, the Student Emergency Fund will continue to offer financial help, and additional fundraising has started to provide more money toward the Student Emergency Fund. Separately, MSU is developing an additional emergency fund specifically for DACA and undocumented students, and as soon those funds become available, I will send a follow-up email to you all. There are also some health care, housing, and financial resources listed on our website (“Local Covid-19 resources for the undocumented and immigrant community”) and in this resource list compiled by the American Civil Liberties Union. MSU Denver’s CARE Team can also talk with you directly to connect you to additional community resources.

Further, if you or somebody you know has lost employment, all individuals who are eligible to work in the U.S. are allowed to and should file a claim! Filing a claim does not impact current or future immigration status, and there are separate programs (such as this one) that provide financial support for undocumented workers.

Please reach out any time to process this information, and in the next few days Immigrant Services will also announce a Town Hall on Friday, May 15, from 11-12 p.m. where immigration attorneys and MSU Denver staff will give updates on the Supreme Court case and will be available to take your questions.

In solidarity,

Your Immigrant Services Team Gregor, Aileen, Estéfani, and Lupe

"The DREAM Act (short for Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act) was a bill in Congress that would have granted legal status to certain undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States as children and went to school here. Although several versions of the bill have been introduced in Congress since 2001, it has never passed. In the last few years, the term “DREAMer” has been used to describe young undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States as children, who have lived and gone to school here, and who in many cases identify as American." (Anti-Defamation League, 2014, adl.org)

If you are an educator and want to learn more, check out United We Dream's "Toolkit for Educators"