In a statement released Tuesday morning, Stanford denounced the Trump administration’s “shameful” decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which has protected about 800,000 young adult undocumented immigrants from deportation to date.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Tuesday announced plans to end DACA, with a six-month delay, giving Congress the opportunity to act on the issue. The DACA program, which former president Barack Obama created in 2012 with an executive order, allowed so-called “DREAMers” who came to the U.S. illegally as children to live and work in the country for two-year periods subject to renewal.

“I do not favor punishing children, most of whom are now adults, for the actions of their parents,” President Donald Trump said in a statement explaining the White House’s decision. “But we must also recognize that we are a nation of opportunity because we are a nation of laws.”

Stanford said that it “vigorously and adamantly opposes” the change.

“This announcement before Congress can enact a permanent legislative solution will bring further profound disruption and uncertainty to those who have met DACA’s strict requirements and are fully a part of American communities,” Stanford’s statement reads.

University President Marc Tessier-Lavigne wrote a letter to Trump last Thursday urging the White House not to end DACA.

“These young people are already full-fledged members of our communities but, through no fault of their own, face uncertain futures due to their immigration status,” Tessier-Lavigne wrote. “They have met DACA’s strict criteria, have records of academic achievement and community involvement and have contributed to the economy.”

Tuesday’s University statement called on Congress to “expeditiously pass legislation to provide permanent legal residence and a path to citizenship for our country’s DREAMers” and noted Stanford’s resources for students or employees affected by the policy change. Resources are compiled at an Undocumented at Stanford website launched at the beginning of the year and range from free legal consultations for students to counseling and academic accommodations.

University spokesperson Lisa Lapin said Stanford does not have data on how many undocumented or DACA students and employees attend and work at Stanford. The University does not collect individuals’ DACA status, she said.

Many other universities have voiced support for DACA in the wake of the White House’s announcement. The move has been popular among Trump’s conservative base but has garnered opposition from the left, many employers and several top Republicans, including House Speaker Paul Ryan, who said Friday he did not want Trump to scrap the program and instead wanted Congress to handle the issue.

Current DACA recipients will keep their protected status until their permits expire and can renew before Oct. 5 if their permits are expiring within six months, the White House said. Applications for new permits that have already been submitted will be processed, but as of Tuesday, applications are closed.

Below is the University’s full statement:

Sept. 5, 2017

Stanford University statement on federal administration’s plans for DACA

Stanford University vigorously and adamantly opposes the shameful decision announced today to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. This announcement before Congress can enact a permanent legislative solution will bring further profound disruption and uncertainty to those who have met DACA’s strict requirements and are fully a part of American communities.

As President Marc Tessier-Lavigne wrote in a letter to the White House last week, DACA has allowed thousands of promising students to contribute to our country. “At Stanford, we have seen first-hand that investing in their education is an investment in our country’s future, as they apply their talents to strengthening our society and to driving economic growth,” he wrote. “In keeping with our deeply held American values, they deserve the opportunity to have legal resident status and to flourish in our society.”

At Stanford, we stand in firm support of everyone in our immigrant community. Stanford will continue to advocate tirelessly for immigration reform efforts that allow us to continue to welcome students, employees and scholars who contribute to our mission of education and discovery. In that context, we urge Congress to expeditiously pass legislation to provide permanent legal residence and a path to citizenship for our country’s DREAMers.

Stanford also stands ready to provide support to students and employees who have concerns or questions about today’s announcement. Information about support services is available on the Undocumented at Stanford website.

An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that, according to spokesperson Lisa Lapin, the University does not collect individuals’ immigration status. In fact, it does not collect information on whether students are DACA recipients. The Daily regrets this error.

Contact Hannah Knowles at hknowles ‘at’ stanford.edu.