Harvard President Drew G. Faust released a statement deciding not to name the Cambridge campus a “sanctuary” for undocumented immigrants, coming as a shock to many at Harvard. The decision is in stark contrast to statements made by Penn President Amy Gutmann earlier this month.
But some religious campuses closer to home are following Penn’s lead.
On November 30th, President Rev. Peter M. Donohue of Villanova University signed a letter released by the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities in support of DACA students, reported the Villanovan.
According to the Villanovan, the statement addresses the contributions of undocumented students to both universities and the Church.
“We, the undersigned presidents of Catholic colleges and universities, express hope that the students in our communities who have qualified for DACA are able to continue their studies without interruption and that many more students in their situation will be welcome to contribute their talents to our campuses,” read the letter.
Villanova senior Brendan Carchidi told the Villanovan that the progressive step may signal positive change for the campus.
“Our Villanovan community… is historically politically conservative. So, for [Donohue] to openly support… a controversial executive order by President Obama is groundbreaking,” Carchidi said.
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