On Jan. 25, 2024, the University of California regents suspended a proposal that would allow undocumented students to work on-campus jobs. Denying student employment opportunities to at least 4,000 students UC-wide.
It is the responsibility of the administration to follow through and provide solutions that benefit students of all backgrounds. Undocumented students not only deserve rights and protections from the UC system, but to thrive in an institution not created for them.
In 2023, President Drake made a commitment to open on-campus employment to undocumented students to alleviate a strain. It did not take long for the regents to revoke a life-changing decision and jeopardize students’ ability to continue their education.
On Jan. 25, 2024, the University of California regents suspended a proposal that would allow undocumented students to work on-campus jobs. Denying student employment opportunities to at least 4,000 students UC-wide.
Regents Policy 4407, the proposal by the Opportunity for All Campaign at UCLA, argues “to hire undocumented students for positions within UC even if they lack employment authorization under federal immigration law.”
After a system-wide outcry, UC President Michael V. Drake explained that passing the proposal “carries significant risk for the institution and for those we serve.” He further claims that he will continue to look into options as new information is provided.
For undocumented students, the promise of opportunity remains elusive. Despite their achievements and contributions to university communities, they continue to face additional barriers. Legal restrictions and discrimination further limit their access to employment options.
Undocumented students not only deserve rights and protections from the UC system, but to thrive in an institution not created for them.
A statement released in May 2023 by President Drake and Board of Regents Chair Richard Leib, states “The University is committed to ensuring that all students, regardless of their immigration status, can pursue and attain a world-class UC education. This should include providing enriching student employment opportunities to all students.”
And yet, as proven by the January decision, these statements of “commitment” and intent only go so far as to convince those students most affected to spend their time, energy, and funds on UC tuition.
President Drake claims that the regents consulted law experts within and beyond the institution, and concluded the campaign’s legal theory is “not legally viable.” He even suggested if the proposal was adopted, some University staff could be subjected to criminal or civil prosecution for violating federal law.
While the viability of the Opportunity for All campaign remains untested in court, the proposal and the legal theory behind it deserve more consideration from President Drake and the UC regents. As the Opportunity for All coalition made up of UCLA law professors and student advocates put it, “under governing U.S. Supreme Court precedents, if a federal law [preventing the employment of undocumented immigrants] does not mention the states explicitly, that federal law does not bind state government entities.”
Every year, more young undocumented people enter universities. Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) previously allowed a select group of undocumented people who came to the US as children with renewable social security numbers and work authorization. But since federal judge Andrew Hanen ruled DACA illegal first in 2021 and again in 2023, new applications have been paused.
The conditions of DACA, created during the Obama administration, are another barrier. Requirements include having resided in the United States since June 15, 2007. However, a growing number of young people seeking to enter the workforce were born after this date. Many of today’s college-age undocumented students weren’t in the country before 2007, so they don’t qualify for DACA. A 2021 American Community Survey displays that those eligible account for one-third of undocumented students and 0.7 percent of all college students.
Today, about 44,000 undocumented students without DACA protections attend California colleges and about 4,000 of them attend the UC.
While undocumented students can still qualify for grants and financial aid, working legally remains a matter of survival at and beyond university.
When attending a university that already has limited resources and support, being undocumented only adds to the stress all students feel.
“Your life is always changing based on those policies and that does take a mental toll,” said Anahi Matias Santiago, Improving Dreams, Equity, Access, and Success.
Undocumented students go to university with the additional burden of providing a better life for themselves and their loved ones. How are they supposed to do this when they don’t have enough money to cover their groceries — let alone rent in Santa Cruz?
These students are excluded from career opportunities and the ability to obtain sources of income. With the UC Regents board rejecting this notion, they are disregarding what they themselves have claimed to be the purpose of UC education.
Without access to federal financial aid or other forms of assistance, undocumented students rely on employment, scholarships, and grants. When one of those very few resources is taken from them by an institution that claims to have their best interest in mind, it’s difficult to accept that as truth.
It is the responsibility of the administration to follow through and provide solutions that benefit students of all backgrounds. The UC should immediately pass the proposal and allow undocumented students to work on-campus jobs.
