Round Lake school district to host event about DACA's end
The announcement Monday that the White House would end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program in six months upset many undocumented students who attend Round Lake Area Unit District 116, according to district officials.
"A lot of students came out of the woodwork and talked about how this affected them," said Penina Noonan, a counselor at Round Lake High School. "A lot of students are shaken up."
The district will host a community information session Tuesday to answer questions that undocumented students and their families have about the end of DACA, designed to protect young immigrants from deportation. The session will be conducted in partnership with Manos a Manos, a Round Lake Park nonprofit supporting immigrant families.
Noonan said even though the recent news has saddened students, they also have hope for their future.
"They've said 'I'm not going to let this decision stop me, I'm going to continue my education,'" Noonan said. "These children are our future. It's important no matter your political view, we all just want to support our students."
Noonan said the district didn't have a number of how many students are undocumented, but she estimated they account for about 20 percent of the student body. She helped start the Dreamer Club at Round Lake High School three years ago, which has grown in part because of recent events.
Noonan said the club raised $1,700 selling T-shirts that had the image of a monarch butterfly and read "Migration is beautiful." The monarch, which migrates between the U.S. and Mexico every year, has become a symbol for the immigration movement and can be found throughout Round Lake-area schools.
The information session will be at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the Magee Middle School library.
"It's a heavy topic," Noonan said. "Even coming out to events like this is a little bit scary."