Uncertainty Grips Undocumented College Students as Trump's Tenure Approaches: It's All About Fear
Breaking Down Fears: Undocumented College Students and Deportation Threats in the U.S.
Jenni Hernandez, a 23-year-old graduate student at Sacramento State, grapples with renewed fears of deportation. A sanctuary state, California, and her campus welcome immigrants, but Hernandez, an undocumented student, lives under the specter of mass deportations promised by the incoming Trump administration.
Raised in California, Hernandez was brought to the U.S. by her parents at the age of one. High school resources eased her college tuition burden, and she now pursues a master's degree in higher education leadership, unable to legally work but participating in a volunteering program.
"I don't feel safe anywhere right now," she confesses, harkening back to her childhood fears when the threat of her parents' deportation loomed large. With Trump's vow to launch massive deportations, "I'm back to that fear."
An estimated 100,000 undocumented college students in California - the most of any state - grapple with an uncertain educational future. College leaders and advocates for undocumented students race against time to assess the protections institutions can offer. Some students even question if they should continue their education due to the looming dangers posed by the Trump administration's immigration policies.
Dreamers, people brought to the U.S. as children, and those without any legal protections from deportation face an especially challenging future. In 2021, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which granted protection from deportation and work permits to some young immigrants, stopped accepting new applicants, leaving hundreds of thousands in limbo.
Trump's comments on Dreamers softened with his vow to craft a plan allowing them to stay. Yet, mixed-status families, where some members have legal documentation while others do not, remain a source of worry. "I don't want to be breaking up families, so the only way you don't break up the family is you keep them together, and you have to send them all back," Trump remarked in an interview, fueling fear among undocumented students.
The California-based nonprofit Immigrants Rising expressed concern over the fear of pursuing higher education due to Trump's election. Students are left contemplating whether staying in college will place them or their family members in danger.
Undocumented students across the U.S. often grapple with questions of safety, with some states offering more protection than others. For example, in California, undocumented students are eligible for in-state tuition and financial aid and can access free immigration lawyers at public institutions. In contrast, Texas offers no such protection beyond primary and secondary schools.
Concerns arise over ICE agents entering campuses and seizing students and the protection of information shared in financial aid applications. Institutions must balance the need to comply with federal laws, such as the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), with the desire to protect their students.
California enacted protections for undocumented students, and California’s attorney general published model policies or guidance to limit local and state cooperation with federal immigration enforcement efforts. The document outlines relevant laws and provides guidance for colleges, including limiting the collection of immigration-related information and offering annual notices to students about what FERPA protects.
Yet, despite these efforts, uncertainty remains. The heightened immigration enforcement, combined with legal challenges, keeps the fears of undocumented college students alive, tainting their educational journeys with anxiety and uncertainty.
Sources:
- The Washington Post: Trump deportation threats weigh on groups offering FAFSA help
- Inside Higher Ed: Dreamers' worries overshadow college graduation season
- Los Angeles Times: As Trump promises mass deportations, California colleges try to protect undocumented students
- The New York Times: UndocuStudents Fight for Tuition Equity Across Campuses in Texas
- Jenni Hernandez, an undocumented student, faces renewed fears of deportation due to the incoming Trump administration's promises, despite her pursuit of higher education leadership.
- The uncertain educational future of undocumented college students, like Hernandez, is a pressing issue as Trump's immigration policies threaten their learning.
- Innovation in education-and-self-development is stalled for undocumented college students as they ponder the risks of continuing their education amidst war-and-conflicts instigated by the Trump administration's policies.
- Policy-and-legislation regarding higher education and the protection of undocumented students has become a battleground in the politics of the U.S., with states like California offering more safeguards than others.
- Online-education and general-news outlets are abuzz with stories of undocumented students dilemmas, as they struggle to navigate their learning without the security of legal documentation in a climate of ICE raids and deportation threats.
