Editor,
In less than one year, UNM campus will be inundated with extensive campaigning from student, community and national groups.
As a swing state, New Mexico will receive special attention from the national Democratic and Republican parties.
With the increase in youth voting in 2008, campaigns are expected to intensify their activities at colleges and universities across the country.
During the last presidential election cycle, young voters (18-24) proved to be a growing presence in voter turnout, and thus a determining factor in election results. According to the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, youth voter turnout for the 2008 election was 51 percent of the eligible voting population, an 11 percent increase from the 2000 election season.
The Democratic and Republican parties will be looking to garner support from young people across the nation.
Despite the investment of money and grassroots campaigning on college campuses by the national parties, only the Democrats directly address the needs and concerns of college students when legislating and adopting new policies.
The Obama administration has worked tirelessly to make college more affordable and health care more accessible. It has enacted policies to protect undocumented students from deportation.
On Aug. 18, the Los Angeles Times reported the Obama administration’s official stance regarding undocumented college students. According to the article, college students and other “low-priority” undocumented individuals would not be targeted for deportation by the federal government.
According to a New York Times article from Aug. 23, long-term college students with no criminal history, family of military personnel and parents of naturalized citizens would also remain untargeted.
News of the Obama administration’s public guarantee to protect these populations elicited praise nationwide by Latino interest groups and others.
These recent developments exemplify the Democratic Party’s commitment to recognizing and defending the interests of college students and young people, such as those at UNM. UNM admissions does not require proof of citizenship; however, undocumented students have had to contend with the possibility of deportation by local and federal agencies.
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With the public declaration of the Obama administration’s position on this matter, undocumented students at UNM and other universities can feel secure and focus on their academics.
Bryan Wilcox
UNM student
