How California’s public colleges plan to protect immigrant students under a second Trump presidency

In California, about 87,000 undocumented students are pursuing higher ed. Increasingly, they do not qualify for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), which provides protection from deportation and a work permit.

President-elect Donald Trump has pledged to “carry out the largest deportation operation in [U.S.] history.”

After the presidential election earlier this week, the leaders of California's public colleges and universities issued a joint statement of support for those students. California Community Colleges Chancellor Sonya Christian, CSU Chancellor Mildred García, and UC President Michael Drake said their institutions will “continue to support and protect all members of our communities.”

LAist reached out to California’s public higher ed institutions for specifics on how they will protect undocumented students.

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Who are California’s undocumented students?

California’s 87,000 undocumented students make up less than one percent of those enrolled in the state’s public higher ed institutions, according to the Presidents' Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, a group representing college and university leaders.

Undocumented students are a heterogeneous group, representing a range of races and countries of origin. The vast majority are undergraduates, but some are pursuing graduate and professional degrees. They are not eligible to work campus jobs, which means paying for college can be a struggle.

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Presidents' Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration

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California Community Colleges

Melissa Villarin, a spokesperson for California’s Community Colleges, referred LAist to its website, which states: “Our colleges will not release personally identifiable student information related to immigration status unless required by judicial order.”

Many campuses, Villarin added, have created Dream Resource Centers and host “know your rights” clinics.

California State University

Amy Bentley-Smith, a spokesperson for CSU, said information about students’ migratory status is confidential. She also pointed to a resource page for students in the university system, along with an FAQ sheet that says campus police “will not contact, detain, question or arrest an individual solely on the basis of suspected undocumented immigration status” or undertake joint efforts with federal immigration enforcement authorities.

University of California

UC has not responded to requests for comment. However, UCLA’s Center for Immigration Law and Policy also issued a statement this week: "In addition to state and federal laws that protect students’ privacy, UC policy provides that the University 'will not release immigration status or related information in confidential student records ... without a judicial warrant, a subpoena, a court order, or as otherwise required by law.'”

The center also said that UC “has a strict policy that generally prevents campus police from undertaking joint efforts with federal immigration enforcement or detaining people at the federal government’s request."

On Tuesday, the Central American Resource Center of Los Angeles (CARECEN) — an immigrants’ rights nonprofit with legal offices in L.A., San Bernardino, and the San Fernando Valley — will host an online discussion for community college and CSU students, faculty, and staff. The conversation will include a debrief on the presidential election and what it can mean for immigrant communities.