At California State University, Stanislaus, students typically have been able to get an appointment with a lawyer in a matter of days, said Guillermo Metelin Bock, who coordinates support services for undocumented students. But by mid-November, the slots were booked up through the end of the year. Students with DACA status are scrambling to apply for renewals before Trump’s inauguration, and those who have green cards — or have family members who do — are petitioning for naturalization, he said.
“Our students have been feeling anxiety, uncertainty and fear now that we know who’s going to be the next president,” Metelin Bock said.
Villanueva, of Immigrants Rising, said colleges can take some actions to protect their students.
The California attorney general in December published “model policies” or guidance for colleges, written to limit the local and state cooperation with federal immigration enforcement efforts. The document outlines relevant laws and provides guidance on how colleges should handle student information, what to do if ICE requests access student records or wants to enter campus or dorms, and what to do if ICE takes action against students or their family members.
For example, the model policies suggest giving students an annual notice of what FERPA protects and what type of information may be available through a school directory — and how to opt out of the directory. The guidance advises limiting the collection of information about a student’s immigration status or national origin unless necessary or required by federal law.
Related: Trump deportation plan could separate millions of families, leaving schools to pick up the pieces
It recommends colleges designate a staff contact for students, faculty or staff who may be subject to an immigration order or inquiry. If a student is detained or deported, the guide recommends that colleges make every effort to help them maintain financial aid eligibility and keep other funding for their education, and help them reenroll if they are able to return to campus.
The guidance also advises that colleges adopt policies about who can access different campus facilities, such as libraries, academic buildings and staff- or student-only lounges. According to federal law, immigration enforcement officers would not need a warrant to enter a university quad, but they would need one to access university student housing.
“Change is difficult overall, but it’s particularly difficult if your livelihood or your benefits or anything that you depend on could be at risk,” said Viridiana Diaz, vice president of student affairs at California State University, San Marcos.
Diaz said she and other officials are trying to reassure students that they are safe on campus, that ICE officers would not “have access to any of our students” without a warrant.
Alejandro Garcia Del Rio, a senior majoring in business and marketing at Cal State Stanislaus, said he recently attended an off-campus career fair where ICE was recruiting students to be future agents.
“Obviously, I felt unsafe,” said Garcia Del Rio, who is undocumented. He tried to act normal and remind himself that the agents weren’t there to arrest anybody.
Garcia Del Rio said he’s worried about what Trump’s deportation plan could look like, but he’s trying not to let fear take over his life or limit him any more than his immigration status already does.
Contact staff writer Olivia Sanchez at 212-678-8402 or osanchez@hechingerreport.org.
This story about undocumented students was produced by The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education. Sign up for the Hechinger newsletter.
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