University President Thomas LeBlanc signed a letter Monday on behalf of the University calling on Congress to pass legislation protecting Dreamers and the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act.

The letter addressed to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell calls on lawmakers to pass the Dream Act of 2021, allowing undocumented immigrant students who grew up in the United States to gain lawful permanent residence and eventually earn American citizenship. LeBlanc was one of 400 business leaders and higher education administrators to sign the letter after a Texas judge ruled last week that Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals was unlawful and suspended new applications to the program.

“This decision throws into further limbo the lives of hundreds of thousands of young Dreamers, and gravely impacts their employers, families, and communities,” the letter states. “It makes starkly clear why Congress must seize the opportunity to finally pass the bipartisan Dream Act of 2021, and end this constant rollercoaster of lawsuits and uncertainty.”

LeBlanc said while officials do not have a count of how many GW students are undocumented or are registered under DACA, the program has allowed students who rely on it to “thrive in their educational pursuits” at GW.

“GW is a better institution because of its ability to admit talented, gifted and passionate students without regard to national origin or ethnicity and without requiring residents of the United States to provide documentation,” LeBlanc said in a release.