Dr. Doug Girod, executive vice chancellor of the KU Medical Center, speaks with media members after being named as the 18th chancellor of the University of Kansas on Thursday, May 25, 2017 at the Lied Center.

University of Kansas Chancellor Douglas Girod has released a statement expressing his “strong disappointment” with the White House’s recent decision to rescind DACA.

The federal policy, officially called Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, allows students who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children to live, study and work here. In his statement Tuesday, Girod said he would join fellow leaders in the Association of American Universities in co-signing a letter urging Congress to enact immediate legislation “enabling DACA participants to remain in the United States without fear of deportation.”

“The University of Kansas is committed to providing equal opportunity for all students,” Girod said in the statement. “For the past five years, DACA has enabled these young people to pursue education and employment. I believe they represent what is best about America, and it is unfair to penalize them for circumstances outside their control.”

Girod’s statement also called for a permanent solution that would codify DACA’s protections. The Trump administration’s decision to rescind the policy could affect as many as 800,000 Dreamers, as DACA recipients are known. Girod said KU would work with colleagues across higher education in contributing to the policymaking process in the weeks ahead.

In his message, Girod stressed that the DACA announcement “does not impact KU policies regarding disclosure of student records” under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, otherwise known as FERPA. The federal law protects the privacy of student education records and applies to all schools that receive funds through an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education.

KU cannot release student records without written consent from the student or a lawfully issued subpoena, warrant or judicial order, Girod said.

In the meantime, the university has created a website, www.undocumented.ku.edu, with information and resources for DACA students and others “who may be in a position to aid others,” the statement said.

“We remain deeply committed to supporting all our students, and we powerfully embrace the fullness of the diversity they bring to our university,” Girod said.