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Finding academic success during political times of uncertainty for undocumented students in California state community colleges

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Finding academic success during political times of uncertainty for undocumented students in California state community colleges

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Content Running head: UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 1

FINDING ACADEMIC SUCCESS DURING POLITICAL TIMES OF UNCERTAINTY FOR
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA STATE COMMUNITY COLLEGES

by

Omar Villa

A Dissertation Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE USC ROSSIER SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
DOCTOR OF EDUCATION

May 2020

Copyright 2020 Omar Villa

UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 2
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First and foremost, I want to thank my chairs Dr. Patricia Tobey and Dr. Wayne combs
for being on my side during this journey. Your guidance, support, and encouragement helped me
along the way to make sure I was on track to complete my dissertation. Thank you for listening
and assuring me that my topic was important enough to research. THANK YOU!
Thank you Dr. Reynaldo Baca for serving as my third chair. Your perspectives and
advice helped me shape my writing process. Without your feedback and recommendations, my
dissertation would not be complete.
This was not an easy journey, but my parents and siblings assured me that I would be
able to get through it! Since the start my educational journey, you all supported me one way or
another, whether emotionally or financially and I am forever grateful! I would not be where I am
today if it were not for you. Again, thank you to my family – my parents, my two older brothers,
my nieces, my nephew, my aunts, uncles, cousins, extended nephews and nieces, and other loved
ones for all the unconditional love and believing in me! I am lucky to have such an amazing
family. We did it!
Thank you to all my amazing friends for always being there for me whenever I needed a
night out in West Hollywood or a weekend escapade to Palm Springs, New York City, or
Mexico. I know there were times I had to reject a few invitations to hang out, but you understood
the process I was going through and allowed me to continue reaching for my goals. You have no
idea how much I appreciate every single one of you for being patient with me in this process. I
am looking forward to our future hangouts and creating lasting memories! On to the next chapter
of our lives.
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 3
I want to give a special shout-out to my girls Carly, Rebecca, Sorangel, and Edith, and
the entire Wednesday night cohort! We were all in this together and I appreciate the support and
encouragement we all gave one-another! You are all going to be amazing leaders and do
amazing things in the world of education! I cannot wait to see how your stories and journeys
unfold from here on. Yay - Class of 2019!
Last but not least I want to thank all my fellow DREAMERS! Thank you for allowing me
to enter your lives and sharing with me your stories of your personal journeys. I learned so much
from every single one of you! I am confident that you will all succeed as you continue on your
educational journeys and/or your career trajectories. Your stories inspired me throughout this
whole process, and I hope to continue being the best advocate I possibly can for you and all
DREAMERS. I am forever grateful and honored to have had the opportunity to learn from all of
you.

UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 4
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgements 2
List of Tables 6
List of Figures 7
Abstract 8
Chapter One: Introduction 9
Background of the Problem 9
Statement of the Problem 11
Purpose of the Study 12
Overview of Theoretical Framework 13
Importance of the Study 14
Limitations and Delimitations 16
Definition of Terms 17
Organization of the Study 18
Chapter Two: Literature Review and Conceptual Framework 20
Presentation of Theories 21
Schlossberg’s Transition Theory 22
Literature Review 25
Immigration Policy and Educational Access 25
Undocumented Student Demographic Data 33
Institutional Support for Undocumented College Students 35
Summary 41
Chapter Three: Methods 43
Research Design and Methods 43
Study Sample and Population 44
Data Collection 44
Interview Questions for Participants with DACA Status 47
Interview Questions for Participants Without DACA Status 48
Data Analysis 49
Ethics 52
Protocols 53
Trustworthiness and Credibility 53
Conclusion 55
Chapter Four: Findings 57
Study Participants 58
Participant 1: Osvaldo 59
Participant 2: Alicia 61
Participant 3: Carina 63
Participant 4: Juan 65
Participant 5: Angelica 67
Participant 6: Alvin 69
Overview of Study Findings 71
Finding One: State and Federal Policies Have Both Positive and Negative Direct
Impacts on Undocumented Student Lives 72
Finding Two: Institutional Support is Central to Undocumented Students’ Success 80
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 5
Conclusion 88
Chapter Five: Discussion, Implications and Recommendations 90
Summary of Findings 91
Finding One: Impacts of Immigration and Education Policies 91
Finding Two: Institutional Support is Central to Undocumented Students’ Success 93
Implications and Recommendations for Practice, Policy, and Research 95
Undocumented Student Resource Center: A One-Stop Shop for All 99
The Federal Act to a Public Education & The Federal DREAM Act 100
Future Research 102
Conclusion 102
References 104
Appendix A: Informed Consent 111

UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 6
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1: Comprehensive Timeline Overview of U.S. Immigration and Education Related
Court Cases, State Propositions and State and Federal Policies 27
Table 2: Theoretical Framework Alignment Matrix 46
Table 3: Research Design Matrix 51
Table 4: Participants 59

UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 7
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1: Schlossberg’s model of transition theory. 14
Figure 2: Schlossberg’s (1995) transition theory 4S’s model. 24
Figure 3: A transition model for undocumented students in higher education. 25

UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 8
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to understand how undocumented students achieve
academic success in California community colleges as they confront multiple obstacles during
different segments of their education. The study examined how the lives of undocumented
students were similar or different during different periods as enrolled students. Additionally, the
study sought to better understand the types of support their institutions offered to help them
advance and transfer to a 4-year institution. Two findings emerged: state and federal policies
have direct impacts on the lives of undocumented students and institutional support is crucial to
undocumented students’ success. Finding 1 had three themes attached to it: all pro-immigration
and education policies matter to the continual success of undocumented students, the benefits of
post-institutionalized policy changes; and, the effects of new presidential administrations.
Finding 2 had three themes as well: establishing relationships and trust amongst staff, faculty and
students is important; continuing the need to educate the campus community at all times; and
safe spaces matter to the continual success of undocumented students in community colleges. In
the end, the findings helped improve the understanding of undocumented students’ success in
California community colleges during political times of uncertainty, making California the
leading state of supporting undocumented students. This study recommends policymakers and
decision makers to increase their support for undocumented students in postsecondary education
to allow them to succeed in U.S. society, which will be a benefit the nation.

UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 9
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
For undocumented students, finding a sense of belonging in college can be difficult.
While the literature indicates college students tend to struggle with persistence and well-being,
undocumented students struggle with additional obstacles and outside factors preventing them
from pursuing a postsecondary education: exemption from deportation and the ability to work
after graduating. The Trump Administration is not supportive of undocumented immigrants, and
the president has repealed policies which aid these students and enforced new orders to deport
immigrants. The focus of this study was to understand the undocumented student experience
through the lenses of California community college (CCC) graduates and understand how
navigated through their education.
Background of the Problem
Families from around the world migrate to the United States for better life opportunities:
to pursue their long-life dreams, escape poverty, or reunite with family relatives. A percentage of
these immigrants either enter the United States with no legal documentation or overstay their
visas, and these individuals become the estimated 11.9 million undocumented immigrants in the
United States (Gildersleeve & Ranero, 2010). The children who migrated with their families will
become America’s undocumented students (Gildersleeve et al., 2010).
Obtaining an accurate count of undocumented students in the United States is difficult,
but long-established estimates were that 65,000 to 85,000 undocumented students graduate from
U.S. high schools each year (Ortiz & Hinojosa, 2010). Most recently, the Migration Policy
Institute (MPI, 2019) estimated that 98,000 undocumented students graduate from U.S. high
schools each year based on data from the American Community Survey. Leaders in these school
systems tend to impose the idea to their students and families that education is the key to success
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 10
in the United States. However, education is only covered by the federal government until a
student reaches their last year of high school. Upon receiving a high school diploma or GED,
students are eligible to apply and enroll in 2-year and 4-year public and private universities. Each
state enacts its own laws pertaining to their higher education systems, and so do private
institutions. These laws may allow or prohibit undocumented students from paying in-state
tuition, access to certain colleges, and/or be eligible for institutional and state financial aid. The
federal government currently does not offer any form of financial aid to undocumented college
students (Federal Student Aid, 2019). These are some obstacles undocumented students face
throughout college.
Since 1982, the U.S. Supreme Court case of Plyler v. Doe has allowed undocumented
students to receive free legal access to public education (K-12), but, once they graduate from
high school, these students face a hurdle trying to access postsecondary education (Perez, Cortes,
Ramos, & Coronado, 2010). Access becomes an issue due to their legal status, state and federal
law, and the limited financial resources offered to them. This puts many of their dreams on hold
until they can initiate their next move, and/or if the state or federal governments agree to pass
legislation supporting undocumented students in postsecondary education. Often, undocumented
students are the first in their families to pursue a college education (Perez et al., 2010). This
makes it difficult for first-generation families to assist their children in navigating the college
system (Gildersleeve et al., 2010). When students become first aware of their undocumented
status and they begin applying to colleges and universities, many experience a difficult transition
trying to understand what this all means. Many do not find out until their final year in high
school, which can make it difficult to formulate a Plan B. Undocumented students face obstacles
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 11
forcing them to experience even more transitions during college as they balance school, work,
family, and seek to understand their newfound identity.
At the time of this study, only a few state and federal policies were enacted in support of
undocumented students. There are 22 states and school boards which passed legislation or
resolutions to offer in-state tuition for these students. As of March 2019, six states offered
institutional and state financial aid packages for them, one being California (NCSL, 2019). The
following 16 states offer in-state tuition to these students: California, Colorado, Connecticut,
Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Maryland, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York,
Oregon, Texas, Utah and Washington. Oklahoma, Hawaii, Michigan and Rhode Island began
offering in-state tuition after their board of regents brought this issue forth and voted on it.
Virginia’s attorney general started granting in-state tuition to anyone in the state who benefits
from Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA; NCSL, 2019). Even though this is
progress, 24 which have not established policies to either provide or prohibit in-state tuition for
these students. Arizona, Georgia, and Indiana passed legislation prohibiting undocumented
college students from paying in-state tuition. Instead, they are classified as international students
and are required to pay out-of-state fees (NCSL, 2019). Alabama and South Carolina prohibit
undocumented students from enrolling in any public state university (NCSL, 2019).
Statement of the Problem
What do undocumented students do to succeed in postsecondary education? For those
that achieve success, what approaches did they follow to help them along the way? New policies
were implemented in certain states like California or New Jersey to give undocumented students
a fairer opportunity to pursue their college education, while other states like South Carolina or
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 12
Alabama prohibited this population from advancing in their education. This is an ongoing battle
every two to six years when U.S. citizens elect new representatives.
The United States government has not passed legislation expanding the rights of
undocumented students in higher education. Ongoing policy changes to the U.S. immigration
and education systems take different turns every two to six years when new presidents and
Congress members are elected. Looking further into the undocumented student college
experience provides better insight into students’ growth, way of learning, and personal
development during and after postsecondary education. Their success can come by transferring
from a two-year to a 4-year institution, retention and graduation rates, or pursuing additional
degrees.
Schlossberg’s (1989) theory of transition was further analyzed and integrated in the study
to better understand the college experience that undocumented students undergo as they
transition from high school into a CCC while taking into consideration the current and past
political climates. The 4S Model of transition was used to review the examples presented by the
participants to understand if undocumented students feel like they belong in institutions of higher
education, and does it play a role in their success as they navigate college.
Purpose of the Study
This study allowed the researcher to further analyze undocumented student success in
postsecondary education by doing a series of interviews, a qualitative method, with multiple
participants. Through interviews, undocumented community college graduates shared their
experiences in the CCC system in the Greater Los Angeles area and the resources which helped
them succeed. Also, the participants shared to what or whom they attributed their success. These
interviews noted the political climate at the time they were in college. The data were analyzed
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 13
and labeled to examine how participants found success in CCCs during times of uncertainty.
Schlossberg’s (1989) transition theory provides context on what participants underwent during
community college and whether their experiences were positive or negative and how they
managed their transitions.
Research Questions
The dissertation sought to answer the following questions to provide knowledge and
insight on California’s undocumented community college students:
1. What approaches did undocumented students in California community colleges use to
navigate through the college systems and succeed?
a. How do current approaches differ, or are they the same, from those who graduated
from California community colleges during different time periods?
2. How are institutions of higher education creating safe campus climates that support
undocumented students and their success?
Overview of Theoretical Framework
Strayhorn’s (2012) Conceptual Model for Sense of Belonging incorporated Schlossberg’s
transition theory, which was the initial theory proposed from this study since it is difficult at
times for undocumented students to find a sense of belonging in postsecondary institutions.
According to Schlossberg (1989) a transition is an event that changes relationships, routines,
assumptions and/or roles in a person’s life. These are events perceived as having an effect on the
individual’s life, but if the event is not perceived as having any effect, then it is not a transition,
according to Schlossberg. Transitions can go two ways: positive (growth) or negative (decline).
As undocumented students begin college, they go through a series of phases linked to the theory:
moving in, moving through, and finally, moving out (Goodman Schlossberg, & Anderson, 2006).
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 14
To better explain this theory, when an event takes place, the individual goes through
major sets of factors, also known as the four Ss or 4S Model. The four Ss are labeled as situation,
self, support, and strategies. Situation is when an event occurs, a trigger, and how it affects the
individual – whether it is positive or negative event. The self factor is how the individual sees
life, as influenced by their personal characteristics like socioeconomic status, gender, age,
citizenship status, and race. The support factor is the resources at the individual’s disposal:
friends, family, and postsecondary institutions. The fourth factor, strategies, are the actions
decided by the individual in response to the original transition. These stages during the transition
guide the individual towards a positive or negative outcome (Figure 1).

Figure 1. Schlossberg’s model of transition theory.
Importance of the Study
Having been once an undocumented student during my K-12 education and the first three
years of my undergraduate education, this topic is dear to my heart. When I attended school as an
undergraduate student in 2007, times were very different. The only policy in place at the time
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 15
was California’s Assembly Bill 540 (AB540), which allowed undocumented students to pay in-
state tuition. There was no Assembly 130/131 (AB130/131), also known as the California
DREAM Act, which was signed by Governor Jerry Brown in 2011, providing state grants and
institutional funding to undocumented students attending 2- or 4-year public institutions. Also,
there was no executive order (DACA) at the time to allow undocumented students to apply for a
work permit or social security number to be eligible for employment on/off-campus; my college
years were rough. With time, we fought for what we have now and are continuing to fight for
even more until there is a permanent solution.
Undocumented college students are part of the minoritized group and marginality for
them is often a permanent condition, until a solution is offered then this permanent condition
might become temporary; for example, someone qualifying for permanent residency and,
eventually, citizenship will transition these individuals from one category to another. The
individual will go from being undocumented to fully documented and so on. If the institutions
where these students attend are not voicing their support for their students around these political
decisions, then undocumented students might feel like their safe havens do not care for them,
making them feel even more marginalized and unwanted on college campuses. Understanding
their experiences at these institutions and what they went through to succeed will inform support
for undocumented students in community college.
Since academic research started giving more light to undocumented students, many
studies were conducted when there were not many state or federal policies to support and aid
these students. In the current political climate, this presidential administration is challenging and
stripping away policies and actions created to support undocumented immigrants. For a while,
researchers were interviewing undocumented students who had no access to state or federal
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 16
financial aid, social security numbers, work permits, opportunities to travel abroad, or event felt
comfortable or safe to disclose their secret identities as undocumented students. As of 2019, 21
states offer in-state tuition for undocumented students, and six of those states offer financial
support, and certain undocumented immigrants from across the nation who meet a specific
criterion are eligible to apply for work permits, social security numbers, and undergo a protective
status from being deported. Undocumented students most often go through college without any
form of documentation. As state and federal policies became law, some of these students were in
school, and others took advantage of these resources since before they started college. This
research is necessary to understand what is currently going on in the lives of these students as all
these new transitions effects are taking place. With the progress made, are students feeling like
they are still marginalized in postsecondary education institutions? Are students finding a sense
of belonging in college campuses? The answers became apparent during the study.
Limitations and Delimitations
Regardless of what research is done, there are limitations to every study. For this study,
the following limitations could weaken strengths and validity. First, access to undocumented
college students was difficult since this is a very sensitive topic and the current political climate
regarding undocumented immigrants is not supportive. Second, undocumented college students
come from all walks of life. Some students who are open about their status and/or more involved
with their campus community than others, and some students prefer not to disclose their status
and/or prefer to experience college as normally as possible without connecting this identity with
them. For the purpose of this study, convenience sampling and snowball sampling were the best
techniques to move forward since it was difficult to find participants willing to share their
stories. With these two techniques, referrals were provided and those who were open about their
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 17
status and actively involved with this group were more willing to participate. Finally, the results
are limited to only CCC graduates. The legal, political and societal opinion is constantly
changing in local, state, and federal governments, which affects past, present, and future studies
inside and outside California.
As for delimitations, the population of focus shared their success stories relating to
transitions during community college and how they navigated them to transfer to a 4-year
institution. Focusing on California’s undocumented immigrant population gives is an advantage,
as the state has the largest number of undocumented high school students graduating every year.
According to U.S. Customs and Immigration Services (USCIS, 2017), there are over 700,000
undocumented immigrants who identify as DACA recipients in California.
Definition of Terms
Many terms and acronyms are used throughout this paper relating to immigrants and
undocumented students or describing certain groups as well as state and federal policies.
Coyote: someone who smuggles people across the United States and Mexican border in
exchange for a fee.
DACA: is an American Immigration policy enacted in 2012 by the Obama administration,
which called for deferred action for certain undocumented young people who came to the U.S. as
children. DACA allows young people who were brought without permission to the United States
as children, and who meet several key criteria to be considered for temporary relief from
deportation or from being placed in removal proceedings. Once granted, DACA is valid for two
years and may be renewed.
Dreamers: undocumented immigrants who desire a college education and/or are pursuing
a college education and aspire for professional advancement and civic engagement.
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 18
Minority: is a culturally, ethnically, or racially distinct group that coexists with but is
subordinate to a more dominant group.
United States Lawful Permanent Resident: is any person not a citizen of the United States
who is residing in the U.S. under legally recognized and lawfully recorded permanent residence
as an immigrant.
Postsecondary institution, institution of higher education, higher education: names given
to universities and colleges.
Success: the accomplishment of an aim or purpose, such as going to or graduating from
college.
Approaches: actions or strategies carefully followed to achieve a specific end, such as
enrolling in additional units to pay the same tuition and graduate early.
Undocumented immigrant: a foreign national who entered the United States without
inspection or with fraudulent documents or entered legally as a nonimmigrant but then violated
the terms of his or her status and remained in the U.S. without authorization.
Organization of the Study
Five chapters comprise this study. The first chapter provides an overview of the study,
which includes background of the problem, statement of the problem, purpose of the study,
importance of the study, limitation and delimitations, definition of terms, and the organization of
the study. Chapter Two offers a review of the literature to introduce the major topics and overall
synthesis of the literature. The theory used for this study will also be presented. Chapter Three
explores the methodology used to conduct this study, which will highlight the sample and
population, instrumentation, data collection and data analysis. Chapter Four will present the data,
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 19
results, and an assessment and analysis of the results. Chapter Five will examine the findings in
the research, implications for practice and the future research needed.

UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 20
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW AND CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
Much of the literature on undocumented students in higher education highlights the
experiences of this group in the 4-year college sector. However, literature on undocumented
students in the community college sector is extremely limited. Also, most of the literature written
on the experiences of undocumented students focuses mainly on their struggles in the United
States postsecondary education system and the lack of support available to them as they
transition from high school to college. Changing the way researchers examine the experiences of
undocumented students will help bring new light to their shared stories. The current literature
relating to undocumented students will be reviewed and connected to themes found in the data,
focusing on their experiences in postsecondary education.
The literature review for this study was sectioned into three categories to provide a full
scope of the undocumented student college experience. In the first section, I highlight previous
and current local, state, and federal immigration and education policies which benefit
undocumented college students. Second, I will provide statistical data pertaining to
undocumented immigrants in the United States, while primarily focusing on undocumented
students in postsecondary education. Finally, I will conclude this literature review by looking at
best practices and techniques at CCCs and 4-year institutions to understand what is being offered
to these students.
Incorporating theory and reviewing the literature on this topic will help connect the
dissertation study to students’ experiences and embarked transitions in higher education.
Schlossberg’s (1989) theory of transition and 4S Model was used as the theoretical framework.
Applying these lenses to the experiences of undocumented students exposed the effects of
immigration and education policies, made by local, state, and federal politicians, have on their
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 21
overall success in postsecondary education. In the end of this chapter, I will describe how
incorporating these frameworks into the literature gave rise to this study.
Presentation of Theories
Strayhorn (2012) presents a series of studies using qualitative, quantitative and mixed-
methods approaches, while focusing on different types of college student populations and groups
in higher education. Strayhorn incorporates the theory of belonging and mattering to gain a better
understanding of the students’ sense of belonging in higher education. Strayhorn frames sense of
belonging as a basic human need and motivation, enough to influence a person’s behavior. The
author connects sense of belonging to students’ perceived social support on campus, a feeling or
sensation of connectedness to other individuals or groups, and the experience of mattering or
feeling cared about, whether by others or the institution, accepted, respected, and valued
(Strayhorn, 2012). The author tries to mold all these definitions in one through engagement with
theory and research around belongingness and mattering (Strayhorn, 2012).
Strayhorn’s motivation behind his conceptual model of sense of belonging in higher
education derived from his interest in Schlossberg’s theory of marginality and mattering, which
suggests marginalized students who are cared for, appreciated or showed interest in are bound to
do well in postsecondary education (Strayhorn, 2012). Looking further into Schlossberg’s
research background, other theories and models were uncovered – one being the theory of
transition, which incorporates a model called the 4S Model. This combination was the perfect
framework to incorporate into this study while trying to understand the numerous transitions
undocumented students undergo in CCCs as they strive for success.

UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 22
Schlossberg ’s Transition Theory
According to Schlossberg’s (1989) transition theory, individuals experience transition as
anticipated, unanticipated and non-events. These experiences will lead to a transition where three
common stages occur: moving out, moving in, and moving through (Goodman et al., 2006). The
moving out stage is described as ending a set or sets of transitions and beginning to wonder and
think about what will come next; the moving in stage is when one is beginning to learn the ropes
and adapt to the new situation; and finally, the moving through stage is when individuals can
identity and manage new roles while questioning if they did the right thing as they try to commit
to the new transition (Goodman et al., 2006). Like traditional college students, undocumented
students will also go through a series of transitions, but with extra factors which need to be taken
into consideration: citizenship status and safety.
When an individual experiences transition, they integrate changes into their daily life.
Goodman et al. (2006) introduces the 4S System model to uncover factors influencing the ability
to cope with transition. The four factors mentioned are situation, self, support, and strategies,
which may vary from person to person and encompass different components. Evans et al. (2009)
noted the situation factor explains the features of a transition when events or non-events take
place, such as when a student leaves home to attend college. The self factor is influenced by
personal and demographic characteristics of an individual’s outlook on life, such as values,
perceptions, socioeconomic status, age, and gender. The support factor refers to the resources
available, such as familial, social, academic, and professional relationships. Finally, the
strategies factor occurs when individuals take action through various coping modes, such as
information seeking, direct action, inhibition of action or intrapsychic behavior (Goodeman et
al., 2006; Evans et al., 1998). The way these individuals go about in utilizing these resources will
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 23
determine whether the transition was deemed positive or negative. Using the 4S Model illustrates
how the individual experiencing transition deals with it based on the transition type, impact, and
context behind it (Figure 2).
Critique of theory. Schlossberg’s theory of transition is used in higher education to help
understand what students are experiencing as they undergo multiple transitions every academic
year – transitions that can be both positive and negative outcomes towards the students’ overall
college experience.
Strengths. Schlossberg’s theory applies to a wide range of individuals, basically any
population or group being studied. The theory is practical and uses language that makes it easy to
understand for both professionals and students. The 4S Model helps to follow each student’s
transition from one step to the next. Also, the 4S Model can be used on multiple transitions
taking place at the same time to follow them and discern the outcomes. When this theory is used
on similar transition issues or the same population group, the outcomes can vary for all, which
makes this theory perfect to review.
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 24

Figure 2. Schlossberg’s (1995) transition theory 4S’s model.

Weaknesses. Schlossberg’s theory of transition has rarely been used in academic work to
research and connect the undocumented college student experience – finding current information
about this this topic and theory was scarce. Also, once the individual has gone through the
transition and has experienced either a negative or positive outcome, can the individual go
through the same transition again? It is unclear whether a new transition will take place after the
outcome is defined, so closure might remain unanswered.
Creating a model that would incorporate both Schlossberg’s transition theory and the 4S
Transition Model is important for this study. This model showcased the individual going through
transition and the social spaces and contexts surrounding the individual, which will influence
outcomes leading to their success in higher education. The individual will exit the transition
experiencing either a positive or negative outcome (Figure 3).
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 25
Literature Review
Immigration Policy and Educational Access
United States immigration policy has a long history of side effects, like educational
access or attainment for certain undocumented immigrants. This section presents past, present,
and future policies as well as legal cases and policies affecting undocumented immigrants in
California. Table 1 presents a more comprehensive overview of the relevant court cases, and
state and federal policies, propositions, and actions.

Figure 3. A transition model for undocumented students in higher education.
In 1982, the U.S. Supreme Court granted undocumented immigrants access to a free
education in the case of Plyler v. Doe; however, this only applied to students in the K-12 arena.
Since there were already federal laws preventing undocumented immigrants from receiving any
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 26
financial aid, the ruling could not apply to postsecondary education (Drachman, 2006). The
Higher Education Act of 1965, under Title IV, exempts undocumented immigrants from
receiving any financial benefits to attend college; however, there are no laws prohibiting
undocumented immigrants from pursuing a postsecondary education in the United States.
Ultimately, the federal government left it to state governments to decide higher education
policies.
In 1985 undocumented college students brought a case forward to the California Superior
Court (Leticia A. v. UC Regents and CSU Board of Trustees) and won. The court decided it was
unconstitutional that the Educational Code for both the University of California (UC) and the
California State University (CSU) systems prevented undocumented students from establishing
residency (Guillen, 2003). These students had the right to establish state residency for tuition
purposes (Guillen, 2003). This became effective immediately in 1986. Both the UCs and CSUs
stopped requiring documentation and proof of U.S. citizenship and permanent residency to
define status of state residency from prospective and currently enrolled students (Leon et al.,
2016). Students were only to show proof that they had lived in California for at least one year
and a day and intended to make California their place of residency (Guillen, 2003), a single
promise to help those pursue an education and in return, the individual will remain and give back
to California. Students who were enrolled during this time and met all state residency
requirements were charged in-state tuition and were offered institutional and state financial aid.
This was a victory for undocumented students who experienced a positive outcome from this
ruling.

UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 27
Table 1

Comprehensive Timeline Overview of U.S. Immigration and Education Related Court Cases,
State Propositions and State and Federal Policies

Year Description of Immigration Related Cases, State
Propositions and State and Federal Policies
1982 – Plyler vs. Doe U.S. Supreme Court ruled that all students have the right to
access a free public education in the K-12 sector, regardless of
legal status.

1986 – Leticia A. v. the UC
Regents and CSU Board of
Trustees
California Superior Court ruled that the UC and CSU systems
need to stop requiring documentation/proof of U.S.
Citizenships/permanent residency when verifying California
residency for tuition purposes. Also, undocumented immigrants
became eligible for institutional and state financial aid.

1991 Bradford v. the UC Regents A California law that overturned the Leticia A. v. the UC
Regents and CSU Board of Trustees decision. Undocumented
students lost their right to pay in-state tuition and receive
institutional and state financial aid.

1994 – Proposition 187 A California voter approved law that denied public medical,
social, and educational services to undocumented immigrants
in California.

2001 – AB540
2014 – AB2000
2017 – SB68
Approved California Assembly bills that allow undocumented
immigrants to file for state residency for in-state college tuition
purposes.

2001 & 2009 – Federal DREAM
Act
Federal legislation that would have created a pathway to
legalization for undocumented college students and full
protection from deportation. Additionally, undocumented
students would have been eligible for in-state tuition in all
states and would have access to institutional, state, and federal
financial aid. In 2017 there was a push to revive this bill.

2011 – AB 130 & 131 (CA DREAM
Act)
An California law allowing undocumented college students to
access private funds like scholarships and grants as well as
institution and state financial aid at the UC, CSU, and CCC
system.

2012 – Deferred Action for
Childhood Arrivals (DACA)
A federal executive action that permits undocumented
immigrants to receive a social security number.

2013 – AB 1024 A California law allowing undocumented individuals to
practice law in the state upon passing the bar exam.
2017 – Trump Administration
Repeals Deferred Action for
Childhood Arrivals (DACA)
The Trump Administration formally announced the end of
DACA on Sept. 5, 2017. A Federal Appeals Court ruled against
the ending DACA on November 8, 2018.
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 28
After the case, the UC and CSU did not retaliate and accepted these changes; however, in
1990, David P. Bradford sued the university by claiming that the policy set by the Leticia A. case
violated federal immigration policy (Leon et al., 2016). Then, Bradford took the UC Regents to
court in the case of Bradford v. the UC Regents and claimed providing state residency and in-
state tuition was against laws regulating U.S. immigration policy, and he won the case. The UC,
in 1991, had to phase out this change and start classifying any prospective undocumented
immigrant as an out-of-state applicants. The CSU system was also taken to court and lost. That
system had until 1995 to phase out this change. This ruling affected many undocumented
students who were enrolled in college or were considering applying (Leon et al., 2016). This
event steered many undocumented students along the transition phases and into thinking what
now? Many might have experienced negative outcomes, but some saw this as an opportunity to
finish school while they were still being classified as state residents and eligible for in-state
tuition and aid.
In 1994, Proposition 187 passed in California with a 58.93% yes vote and 41.97% no
vote. According to the Assembly Committee on Higher Education (1994) Proposition 187 was an
initiative measure to prevent and fine any state and local agencies from providing education,
healthcare, welfare, or other social services to any individual whose legal status is not verified.
Additionally, this measure would have required all state and local government employees to
report any person determined to be or under reasonable suspicion of being in the United States
illegally without proper documentation (Assembly Committee on Higher Education, 1994). This
measure would have prevented undocumented immigrants from attending any California public
colleges. Many civil rights organizations and individuals intervened to put a stop to this measure
before it was implemented by challenging the constitutionality of it. Eventually, the courts
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 29
decided it was unconstitutional, and this measure would not take effect, which set a precedent for
California and other state measures. Similar to the previous case, this event will touch the lives
of many undocumented immigrants, and it could be seen as a negative outcome. The transition
through the 4S Model and incorporation of sense of belonging might show that the State of
California and its people are not supportive of undocumented immigrant residents. Following the
closure of this measure, some groups were still interested in supporting undocumented college
students and would eventually push for policy changes in the state.
In 2001, the Texas Legislature was the first in the country to pass a law, House Bill 1403
or the Texas DREAM Act, allowing non-citizen residents to apply for in-state tuition and qualify
for state funding grants (CPPP, 2015). This law offers both in-state tuition and state financial aid
programs. After Texas passed this law, other states did as well with California passing Assembly
Bill 540 (AB540) on October 12, 2001. AB540 intended to improve the lives of undocumented
youth interested in pursuing a postsecondary education, although the bill was hailed as providing
the opportunity to out-of-state students from the other 49 states. It was estimated that 5,800 to
7,450 undocumented students per year would benefit from AB540 (Abrego, 2008). For a student
to qualify for AB540 status, they must have attended a California high school for at least three
years and graduated (or obtained a GED), enrolled in a California public college, and declared,
through an affidavit, that they will legalize their immigration status as soon as they become
eligible (Abrego, 2008). The state also passed AB2000 in 2014 and SB68 in 2017. According to
the CSU (2018), AB2000 and SB68 expand AB540 and allow early high school graduates to
apply for in-state tuition and grants in-state tuition eligibility to later immigrant arrivals who
attend a CCC. This change was a win for undocumented college students, but it was not
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 30
originally intended for them, but they fought to be included. Also, one thing AB540 did not
provide was institutional or state financial aid to undocumented immigrants.
Also in 2001, Representative Luis Gutierrez introduced HR 1582, the Immigrant
Children’s Educational Advancement and Dropout Prevention Act of 2001, also known as the
Federal DREAM Act (Gutierrez, 2001). The bill did not get far in the House of Representatives,
but HR 1582 was the first federal bill to be introduced that aimed at supporting undocumented
students financially in higher education and creating a pathway to legalization. The Federal
DREAM Act was eventually re-introduced in 2009 in both chambers of Congress and it went up
for a vote in 2010. The final tally was 56 yes and 43 no. Since then, the Federal DREAM Act has
not been brought up for a re-vote (Gildersleeve & Hernandez, 2012; Greenwood, 2017). In our
current political climate, legislation like the Federal DREAM Act to create a pathway to
legalization to undocumented immigrants is very much desired by many.
After 10 years of not providing any financial support to undocumented students, in 2011
the California DREAM Act was introduced as two separate bills: Assembly Bill 130 and
Assembly Bill 131. Assembly 130 gave undocumented students the greenlight to access privately
funded scholarships and grants provided by the institution or public entities (Leon et al., 2016).
Assembly 131 gave undocumented students access institutional and state financial aid, if eligible
for AB 540 (Leon et al., 2016). Paying for college has been a large hurdle for undocumented
immigrants, but the passage of these two bills should eliminate it.
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is an executive order signed by
President Barack Obama in 2012. This executive order memorandum grants temporary relief
from deportation to eligible young undocumented immigrants (Adams & Boyne, 2015). This
program was a monumental change in our nation’s immigration system and it was said to benefit
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 31
an estimated 1.4 million undocumented youth (Adams & Boyne, 2015). President Obama
believed this was the right measure to support young people who were residing in the United
States without legal status and, in return, they would provide much to the nation (The White
House Office of the Press Secretary, 2012). Over 640,000 individuals applied for the DACA
program since it was implemented back 2014 (Adams & Boyne, 2015).
If eligible, DACA grants undocumented youth with temporary 2-year renewable work
permits, temporary social security numbers, opportunities to travel abroad through educational
and study abroad programs, and finally, relief from deportation (Gonzalez, Terriquez, &
Rusczczyk, 2014). Some states have taken a step further and passed legislation regarding driver’s
licenses and in-state tuition to further integrate undocumented young people, but in many of
these cases the benefits are only available to DACA beneficiaries. (Gonzalez, 2015). Not all
undocumented youth are eligible to apply since there is extensive criteria which must be met.
Those without DACA status appear to be falling further behind according to a study according to
the National UnDACAmented Research Project (Gonzalez et al., 2014).
Since AB540 was enacted in California, there has been three different presidents in
office, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump, and they all have expressed their
thoughts and urged action on immigration and education policies. First, Bush announced the
establishment of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), following the events of
September 11, 2001, and many other offices were created out of DHS which brought worry to
many undocumented immigrants and ally groups across the nation. Bush also urged Congress to
act quickly and pass a fair bipartisan piece of legislation on Comprehensive Immigration Reform
that he can sign into law. Comprehensive Immigration Reform would have provided more
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 32
security to the United States borders, but it would have created a pathway to citizenship for
current undocumented immigrants living in this country.
Second, Obama urged Congress to pass the Federal DREAM Act, which would have
provided a pathway to citizenship and financial support for current undocumented students, as
long as specific criteria was met. The Obama administration also introduced the executive order
DACA in 2011. Lastly, it was discovered that Obama was considered the “Deporter in Chief”
due to his high track recorded of deporting over 2.5 million immigrants out of the United States.
Finally, Trump ran a presidential campaign on making America great again by enforcing strict
immigration laws in the United States once elected president. As of September 5, 2017, the
Trump Administration decided to phase out the DACA program until Congress can create,
approve, and pass a concrete immigration bill (The White House Office of the Press Secretary,
2017). Since then, a few federal judges have ruled this to be unconstitutional and have prevented
the program from phasing out, so those eligible for DACA are still eligible to apply and reapply
(Center for Immigration Studies, 2018). This caused uncertainty among undocumented
immigrants and those pursuing a postsecondary education.
All local, state, and federal policies affect the lives of millions of undocumented
immigrants across the country. These various events in time took undocumented students
through a series of phases that probably led the community into positive and negative outcomes.
The influence politics and policies have on this specific population is tremendous and each time
a policy is considered, an undocumented student will experience a transition in their lives,
whether the outcome will be negative or positive will depend on what policies, resolutions, and
actions are passed by government officials.

UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 33
Undocumented Student Demographic Data
For this study, knowing who California’s undocumented students are helps understand
their demographics and background characteristics. According to the MPI (2014), there are
roughly 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States. Approximately 3.019 million
or 27% of these 11 million undocumented immigrants reside in the California (MPI, 2014). MPI
disaggregated the data by regions of birth: Mexico and Central America, 83% (2.5 million);
Caribbean, 0.1% (2,000); South American, 1% (40,000); Europe/Canada/Oceania, 2% (69,000);
Asia, 13% (385,000); and Africa, 1% (25,000). Even though Mexico and Central America
represent the highest percentage in the data, there are still undocumented immigrants from
various parts of the world. For this study, the focus was on the student experience of
undocumented individuals from Mexico, Central America, or Latin America.
Of the 3.019 million undocumented immigrants residing in California, 48% (1.435
million) are female and 52% (1.584 million) are male (MPI, 2014). Less than 23% (1.003
million) have been residing in the U.S. for less than nine years, about 43% (1.297 million) have
been living in the U.S. between 10 to 19 years, and about 24% (720,000) have been living in the
U.S. for over 20 years (MPI, 2014). Approximately, 45% (1.375 million) are under the age of 34,
and 55% (1.645 million) are over the age of 35 (MPI, 2014). Undocumented students can fall in
any age group, since the types of college students vary by age.
According to Eusobio and Mendoza (2015) only %5 to 10% of the 65,000 undocumented
students will pursue a higher education. Of those students, 1% to 2% will pursue postsecondary
education in. Approximately 1.17% (34,000) will enroll in CCCs, 0.83% (3,600) will enroll in
the CSU, and 0.18% (400) will enroll in the UC (Eusobio et al., 2015). This research was
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 34
conducted in 2006, prior to the California DREAM Act and DACA. These two policies can have
an effect on the enrollment of undocumented students pursuing college degrees in California.
There is about 700,000 undocumented students with DACA status in the U.S. and
approximately 200,000 reside in th California (USCIS, 2017). According to Passel, Cohn, and
Rohal (2015), California has the largest number of undocumented students graduating from high
school each year and since a high school diploma is a requirement for applying/renewing DACA,
they are more committed to doing so. This proves that more undocumented college students are
graduating from high school, and perhaps pursuing a postsecondary education.
In a national DACA study, it is noted that about 65% of DACA students pursued
educational opportunities they previously could not due to their immigration status (Wong,
2017). Additionally, 95.2% of the survey respondents (n = ~1,279) marked they were enrolled in
a postsecondary education institution to attain an associate degree, bachelor’s degree, or a
graduate degree (Wong, 2017). Roughly 25% of these respondents were exclusively from
California, the most students than any other state. Students with DACA status are mainly
comprised of Latinos (Mexico, Central America, South America) – 94% to be exact (USCIS,
2017) and many begin their education in the CCCs.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau and Department of Education (2015) Latino males
and females in the United States graduate from high school in similar rates, but those rates
change when enrolling in postsecondary education. Excelencia in Education (2016) noted that
Latina females represented 57% or 1.7 million of the overall Latino population in college,
whereas Latino males represented 43% or 1.26 million people in the Fall of 2014. This disparity
grew even more apart when looking at retention and college completion rates and by type of
degree attainment (Saenz & Ponjuan, 2008). According Saenz and Ponjuan (2008) cultural
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 35
norms for Latino families have developed over time and more Latina females are earning college
degrees. The personal experiences of each group can be different and cause transitions into any
direction, causing either a positive or negative outcome. Since many of these studies noted
female Latinas tend to outperform male Latinos, the effects of this trend should be similar
regardless of these students’ undocumented status.
Institutional Support for Undocumented College Students
About two dozen states offer in-state tuition and/or state and institutional aid for
undocumented students. The first two states to offer in-state tuition were Texas and California.
Other states like South Carolina have banned and changed their policies multiple times
throughout the past 10 years (Gildersleeve et al., 2010; Flores, 2010). Approximately half of the
United States have no laws pertaining to undocumented students in-state public colleges. Certain
states leave each public university’s board of governance to determine their policies. There are
undocumented students who move to states where they can obtain a tuition subsidy (Kaushal,
2008) because their home states fail to grant them in-state tuition. Also, those states will
categorize them as international or foreign students, which then increases the cost of tuition and
fees for all undocumented students at two and 4-year public universities.
Understanding the policy. When higher education professionals know the policies
pertaining to undocumented students, they will better support students who are sometimes
unaware or not up-to-date with the information. Higher education professionals can be advocates
by supporting legislation that grants these students the right and support to attend college
(Gildersleeve et al., 2010). For example, the Federal DREAM Act allows undocumented students
to pay in-state tuition, provides a pathway to citizenship, and grants them loan access if needed
(Gildersleeve et al., 2010). This act has been introduced several times in Congress but has failed
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 36
to pass. Student affairs professionals can get involved by either calling their legislators urging
them to push legislation forward or, as a university, take a stance on issues and put forward a
letter of support to state and federal legislators. This shows they support and care for the
livelihood of undocumented students and their rights to access a postsecondary education. This
will allow for trust to be established between higher education professionals and undocumented
college students, which creates a sense of belonging for these students. If these institutions also
provide them the resources to graduate, student retention and graduation rates would increase as
well.
States which offer some relief to undocumented students help create positive outcomes
for their undocumented students; however, states without policies to support undocumented
students can affect the way these students transitions and outcomes. These outcomes can affect
retention/dropout rates, revenue, and an individual’s well-being. Each student case is different,
so it is important to study this group.
Pre-college preparation. When students begin to gather information for colleges they
want to apply to, college recruiters are always on the forefront attending college fairs and
reaching out to students who show interest in their college choice in hopes to recruit them.
Higher educational professionals also work with college guidance counselors in high schools
across the nation to form partnerships about getting their high school students to apply to their
institutions. Higher education professionals can show they recognize and care for undocumented
students, is as simple as creating outreach efforts that take language and immigration status into
account which can help them and their families stay informed (Gildersleeve et al., 2010). They
can provide active and passive support. Higher education professionals can invite targeted
undocumented students and their families to open house events at the college or high school
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 37
campus and present an informative presentation of the work they do with undocumented students
and the resources they provide on campuses to continue their academic success. College
campuses can also host a weeklong or weekend event, with the support of their current students,
for newly admitted students to help them set up for success. Workshops, training, and a variety
of presentations geared towards the undocumented college student experience and first-
generation experience will provide additional support to those incoming students who are
undocumented and first-generation. A passive way to support undocumented students is by
providing brochures and guides electronically and in paper format created specifically for these
students and high school counselors on what the campus has to offer them (Huber & Malagon,
2007). These can be both in English and their native language mainly spoken at home to allow
families to look over the information as well with their children.
Students will have an easier transition going into higher education when colleges and
universities are reaching out to them personally or through college fairs. A first event or
encounter can make an experience positive or negative and in this case, students in general will
feel more inclined to apply to an institution where they feel like they belong and are cared for.
Access is the first step in helping foster a student’s transition as they go from high school to
college.
Mentorship. According to Huber et al. (2007) high school teachers, counselors, student
affair practitioners, peers, relatives, and community members are important assets to the lives of
undocumented college students, especially during higher education. However, the literature
neglects to inform or even mention that providing ongoing mentorship to these students will help
them succeed in the long run. Undocumented students expressed they are the first in their
families to pursue a college degree or are unaware of who to seek guidance from during high
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 38
school or college (Huber et al., 2007; Hernandez, Hernandez, Gadson, Huftalin, Ortiz, White, &
Yocum-Gaffney, 2010). By informing all administrators, faculty and staff on the subject of
undocumented students, they may serve as mentors to these students or at least direct them to the
appropriate departments that provide undocumented student support services. This will allow
them to create a sense of environment and belonging. Also, mentors offer can assist in student’s
transitions. A way to identify these students is to be vocal and open about the issue at the start of
college through orientation programs, residential meetings, and conversations on the first day of
class. Also, employees a sticker can be placed on classrooms or office doors indicating that is a
safe space for undocumented students to speak about this issue, basically announcing to the
campus community that the individual is an ally providing a safe space for undocumented
students or anyone who wishes to speak about this subject. This is a similar approach higher
education professionals have been using for years in for other membership groups.
Student organizations/groups. There are times when undocumented students lose trust
or do not confide in their professors, counselors, or their university overall about their status, but
if safe groups or organizations dedicated to supporting and aiding undocumented students
existed, these students might feel more eager to confide in those spaces and create their own
sense of belonging. The S.I.N. Collective (2007) mentioned their 4-year public university lacked
efforts to maintain and increase undocumented student retention. Also, they stated the university
had no protocol on providing support to this population and even some university officials were
unaware that undocumented students were enrolled (The S.I.N. Collective, 2007). They formed a
student-led organization to educate other students, administrators, faculty, and staff on the issues
undocumented college students face in college. The group was also formed to create a sense of
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 39
community amongst themselves and to support one another to keep their retention rates high
(S.I.N. Collective, 2007).
Even though the S.I.N. Collective took about two years to formally establish their
organization and mission, due to certain policies or lack of information from student
administrators, these students took many matters in their own hands and educated their campus
about the many struggles undocumented college students face daily. In this case, higher
education professionals can provide resources like room reservations, structure support and/or
connections for undocumented students who are more eager to find a space to meet with their
peers. Higher education professionals can serve as advisors to the group or be accessible to the
group when needed. Being available and continuously offering services will show that higher
education professionals care for their cause and the establishment of their groups. This can
create positive outcomes and students can achieve success if they continue to experience positive
transitions.
Emotional support. Are undocumented students considered to be second class citizens
in the United States? Oftentimes, undocumented students come across multiple obstacles which
American-born or legalized residents do not encounter when trying to assimilate into society
after high school (Perez et al., 2010). A few examples are applying to scholarships, internships,
and financial aid that require a social security number, citizenship, or work authorization. These
students develop a sense of shame, discrimination, fear and doubt when they realize certain
things their American-born or legalized friends are entitled to and they are denied access to, even
though some grew up living the same lifestyle like attending the same school systems (Perez et
al., 2010).
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 40
Many of these undocumented students begin to feel a sense of shame and fear when
people begin to question their identity and why they do not have a driver’s license, a state ID, or
are not enrolling into colleges at a higher rate (Perez et al., 2010). This forces many students to
not speak about the issue. They also fear they can be deported, even though they grew up and
were raised in the United States (Perez et al., 2010). Living in this fear causes students to
develop mental health and trust issues. Providing emotional support through the health
department or through peer support will help these students express their feelings and emotions
to people who can help them cope with their emotions and state of mind. Training staff in the
health and counseling field about sensitivity of working with these students is important because
these students face many demands in school, work, and home. Equipping staff, faculty, and other
members of the campus community to steer these students in the right direction, like locating
specific campus resources, is important. Higher education professionals need to understand these
students experience obstacles different from those of the traditional college student.
Career development. Many college students enter the workforce after graduating, and
others decide to take some time off. Then, there are individuals who seek to further their
education in graduate school. Undocumented students consider the possibilities to attain
employment after earning a bachelor’s degree. While many undocumented college students are
eligible for DACA which allows them to work legally in the U.S., others do not. Worse, what if
the Trump Administration’s decision to rescind DACA is allowed to move forward and all who
were DACAmented immediately go back to being fully undocumented? This is a matter
universities need to be prepared to work with because immigration policy relating to higher
education seems to not be fully concrete and can change at any time.
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 41
In majority of the schools across the nation, the career services office offer students
support in cover letter writing, resume tips, mock interviews, and professional opportunities to
work or intern with partnering organizations and businesses. Career centers will most likely
reach out to students at some point to help them improve on their career development prior to
graduating. According to Ortiz and Hinojosa (2010), career centers are providing training and
working with staff across the board to inform them of potential students who can work with them
or limit them to apply to any jobs. The career center is then providing undocumented students
specific networking and career exploration skills to contact companies and opportunities in
graduate school to continue expanding their education background and resume (Ortiz et al.,
2010). Applying to certain companies and continuing to graduate school is an option for
undocumented students because they will provide a unique specialization which employers can
utilize them for and possibly sponsor them for a change in immigration status. Ortiz et al. (2010)
mentions a few options students have to remain underemployed in the illegal labor market,
[apply for DACA if eligible], or continue their education until the laws change. Students might
not be inclined to move to their country of origin, but it is an option students have since they
might have more employment opportunities with a college education.
Summary
The literature review was presented in three sections to provide a full scope of the
undocumented college student experience. In the first section, previous and current local, state,
and federal immigration and education policies affecting undocumented college students was
highlighted. Second, statistical data pertaining to undocumented immigrations and specifically
focusing on undocumented students in postsecondary education was covered. Finally, best
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 42
practices and current techniques at CCCs and California 4-year institutions was discussed to
understand what is currently being offered to undocumented college students.
Theory was reviewed and incorporated into the literature review to help connect the
dissertation study with themes around belonging and transition. Schlossberg’s theory of
transition and 4S transition model was used as the main theoretical framework.

UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 43
CHAPTER THREE: METHODS
In a qualitative project, the author can explore a concept or phenomenon utilizing various
methods like interviews, focus groups, and observations. (Creswell, 2009). The study required a
series of qualitative research methods to help gather the best possible data and outcomes. Current
and past changes to United States immigration policies are continuing to affect hundreds of
thousands of undocumented immigrants from pursuing a postsecondary education, which made
this study important during this period of time and in the upcoming 2020 presidential elections.
Multiple immigration and education federal and state related policies were enacted throughout
U.S. history, but there has been a push to support this community in the past two decades. With
many ongoing changes occurring under federal, state and local governments, this study sought
better understanding of what undergraduate undocumented college students do to succeed in
CCCs as they go through multiples phases of transition caused by times of uncertainty in politics.
Two research questions guided this study:
1. What approaches did undocumented students in California community colleges use to
navigate through the college systems and succeed?
a. How do current approaches differ, or are they the same, from those who graduated
from California community colleges during different time periods?
2. How are institutions of higher education creating safe campus climates that support
undocumented students and their success?
Research Design and Methods
This study utilized interviews and follow-up interviews with undocumented community
college graduates who were with or without DACA status during their time in the CCC system.
These two groups of participants had different experiences navigating college, so their voices
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 44
were important to make a comparative distinction between the two. By doing a qualitative study,
it showed how individuals interpreted their own experiences, constructed their worlds, and what
meaning they accredited to their overall journey, while guided by a set of questions (Merriam &
Tisdell, 2009). Choosing a qualitative study provided deeper context into the experiences of
these students through one-on-one interviews and follow-up interviews, which a quantitative
study cannot provide.
Study Sample and Population
According to Creswell (2009) it is important to identify the population of this study, the
size of this population, and the individuals from this specific population. The sample consisted of
six undocumented community college students, three of whom attended community college prior
to the implementation of DACA in 2012 and three who were eligible for DACA status after it
was enacted. Interviews and follow-up interviews worked best to gather rich data for to
understand how changes in immigration and education policies affected participants’ daily lives
in college, to understand how CCCs address these issues, and to understand participants’
thoughts and ideas collectively regarding how they help one another during these challenging
times. Overall, by focusing on these two distinctive groups of undocumented students pre- and
post-DACA, the data helped answer the research questions.
Data Collection
According to Merriam and Tisdell (2009), interviewing is a popular method used in
qualitative research. Interviewing is the action that takes place between a researcher and
participant engaging in a conversation guided by a series of questions related to the study
(Merriam & Tisdell, 2009). This research method allowed the author to gather the best possible
data in the best possible way, to better understand the selected population. In this study, the
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 45
following participants were interviewed in real time, and asynchronously interviews were not
considered since that can create lag time between the interview (Merriam & Tisdell, 2009). For
this study, three undocumented CCC graduates without DACA status; and, three CCC graduates
with DACA status were interviewed. Face-to-face and over-the-phone interviews were
conducted in undisclosed, safe and private locations for the safety of the individuals.
Interviewers were asked if they had a preferred location to conduct the interview for them to feel
the most comfortable; if not, multiple locations were suggested, and the interviewee chose one.
Most of the time the interviewees preferred over-the-phone interviews since it was the most
convenient and most discreet. The primary focus of these interviews were centered on their
college experience attending a CCC.
Interviews were conducted in a very relaxed environment at the suggested time of the
interviewee. One interview was conducted before 8:00am during the weekday, while the rest of
the interviews took place throughout the week and weekend after work hours. The choice of
timeframe affected how relaxed or disruptive the interview environment was at the time, which
had an effect on the outcome. Adjustments were made for all interviewees who requested
specific meeting locations, timeframes, and availability. However, the interview itself was
guided by a series of questions generated by the interviewer for there to be uniformity among all
participants being interviewed. Follow-up questions and interviews were made to get possible
outcomes from conversations with the interviewees. Overall, the interviews went well and all
participants were open to share their stories and further information, if requested.
All interviews were audio-recorded with either a voice recorder, an iPad, a MacBook Air,
and/or an iPhone device and handwritten notes were also taken throughout the interview to note
any body language or key points mentioned during the interview conversations. No video or
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 46
monitoring recording took place for any of the interviews conducted to protect the identity of the
participants.
Data were collected through interviews with undocumented community college graduates
with and without DACA status. To produce and receive the best possible data, all interviews
were guided by a series of questions pertaining to each individuals’ case, understanding the years
they attended community college and the resources and benefits available to each. The interview
questions are noted below for each subgroup. The two main research questions and sub-research
question were integrated in a theoretical framework alignment matrix to describe the theory
utilized to cross-reference these questions and what interview questions were used to help
answer each research question (Table 2).
Table 2
Theoretical Framework Alignment Matrix
Research Question Theoretical Framework Data Instrument Questions
1. What approaches are
undocumented students in
California community
college using to navigate
through the college systems
to succeed?
Transition Theory
(Schlossberg 1995)

Interview Questions:
Graduate w/ DACA: 1-8
Graduate/No DACA: 1-7

1a.) How do current
approaches differ, or are
they the same, from those
who are currently in college
and those that have
previously graduated from
California community
colleges?

Transition Theory
(Schlossberg 1995)

Interview Questions:
Graduate w/ DACA: 9, 10, 12
Graduate/No DACA: 8-10

3. How are institutions of
higher education creating a
safe campus climate that
supports undocumented
students and their success?

Transition Theory
(Schlossberg 1995)

Interview Questions:
Graduate w/ DACA: 11, 13, 14
Graduate/No DACA – 11-13

UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 47
Interview Questions for Participants with DACA Status
1. How and when did your family immigrate to the US?
2. How and when did you discover you were undocumented for the first time?
3. When and why did you decide to attend college?
4. How did the school counselors, school administrators, or teachers react when you
expressed your interest in enrolling into higher education courses?
a. Did their reactions affect you in any way?
5. Describe your experience at the admissions and financial aid offices at your community
college.
6. How did you pay for your college expenses?
7. Describe what a typical college day was for you.
8. As community college graduate, what were the benefits of DACA?
a. Were there any limitations?
9. The Trump Administration rescinded DACA approximately year ago. What were your
thoughts when this happened?
a. At any time, did you think about what that meant for your future in relation to
college?
b. If yes, how so and if not, why not?
10. What U.S. policy would you like to see be implemented in the future to support
undocumented youth?
11. How was the campus climate and sentiments about immigrant and/or undocumented
students at your community college?
a. Did this affect you in any way?
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 48
b. If yes, how so?
12. Will you continue your college education if your DACA permit is ever revoked?
13. How did your alma mater support undocumented students?
14. What do you think is ideal and necessary for your alma mater to continue supporting
undocumented students?
Interview Questions for Participants Without DACA Status
1. How and when did your family immigrate to the US?
2. How and when did you discover you were undocumented for the first time?
a. What thoughts do you remember going through your mind?
3. When and why did you decide to attend college?
4. How did the school counselors, school administrators, or teachers react when you
expressed your interest in enrolling into higher education courses?
a. What thoughts do you remember going through your mind?
5. Describe your experience at the admissions and financial aid offices at your community
college.
6. How are you currently paying for your college expenses?
7. Describe how a typical college day was for you.
8. How many times did you apply for DACA?
a. Why did you not qualify?
9. Why did you choose to pursue a college education without DACA status?
a. How has not having DACA status affected your college journey?
10. What U.S. policy would you like to see be implemented in the future to support
undocumented youth?
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 49
11. How was the campus climate and sentiments about immigrant and/or undocumented
students at your community college?
a. Has this affected you in any way?
b. If yes, how so?
12. How has your institution been supportive of undocumented students?
13. What do you think is ideal and necessary for your institution to do to support
undocumented students?
According to Creswell (2009), this data collection method type gives the researcher the
advantage over the line of questioning that can be administered during one-on-one interviews.
This occurred during each interview as follow-up questions kept popping up. Also, Creswell
(2009) suggested gathering data in different formats to get the most participants for the study.
Aside face-to-face interviews, over-the-phone interviews were conducted and they were
extremely useful when participants were unable to be directly observed face-to-face. In the end,
six participants agreed to be interviewed and a rich range of data was gathered.
Data Analysis
Qualitative methods provide insight to the effects politics have on undocumented
community college students as they navigated through the systems of higher education trying to
achieve success. Through their personal experiences, undocumented community college
graduates shared their experiences around this sensitive topic – they were guided by a set of
questions and follow-up questions put forth by the interviewer. Like previously mentioned, audio
recording swill be taking place during these interviews. Audio recordings were initiated after
verbal consent was given by the interviewees. Afterwards, audio recordings were transcribed and
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 50
specifically coded within a week of the last interview conducted, and all recorded media files
were destroyed soon after for the safety of all the participants.
Face-to-face interviews were important to get an overall sense of how these individuals
reacted through their body language after sharing their experiences, which a quantitative study
cannot capture (Creswell, 2009). Also, undocumented students questioned the safety of online
surveys and/or if the information they fill out on an online survey was traceable to them, which
can cause undocumented students to not want to part-take in a survey if their safety cannot be
confirmed.
Once the data were analyzed and transcribed, aliases and pseudonyms were used to give
complete anonymity to all participants and locations mentioned in the study to protect identities
(Creswell, 2009). Data were collected for analysis and to identify similarities or differences from
the key findings and themes (Creswell, 2009). Coding was useful when ideas were clustered
together to make final decisions on the abbreviations for each category, so this was done for all
interviews – six to be exact (Creswell, 2009). An example is in Table 3. In the end, the data was
interpreted to confirm past information or depart from it and suggest new questions for study
(Creswell, 2009). The overall data were kept until the end of the study, June 2019, and erased
thereafter (Creswell, 2009).

UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 51
Table 3
Research Design Matrix
What do I need to know? What approaches are current undocumented students in CCC using
to succeed? How do current approaches differ, or are they the
same, from those who have previously graduated from
postsecondary institutions? How are institutions of higher
education creating a safe campus climate that supports
undocumented students and their success?

What type(s) of
individuals (e.g.,
principals, students) did I
need to interview?

Undocumented CCC graduates. (with and without DACA status)

What type(s) of settings
(e.g., classroom,
teachers’ lounge) did I
need to observe?

Meetings, town halls, public online pages and future events related
to immigrant students in postsecondary education.
What was my sampling
strategy? (Use Maxwell
pp. 98-99 to specific your
goals).

Convenience sampling and snowball sampling (OC and LA
community colleges, non-profit organizations)
People, settings, events,
and processes to sample.
(1) undocumented community college graduates with DACA
status; (2) undocumented community college graduates without
DACA status

Who were the
gatekeepers? Who did I
speak with to obtain
access? From whom did I
get consent?

Student leaders, staff, and administrators.
What was my
relationships with
possible informants?
(i.e., do I supervise
them? Are they my
colleagues?) What were
the implications of these
relationships?

I was an ex-undocumented student, so I identify as being part of
the group.

I currently work in higher education administration, so I used
those connections to sit through the planning process at our school
committee meetings.
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 52
Ethics
The purpose and process of the study was made clear to the dissertation committee,
colleagues, and participants to ensure the study was conducted ethically and professionally. This
case study went through the University of Southern California’s Institutional Review Board
(IRB) examination board and with their approval, the study moved forward to the next step.
Colleagues, friends of colleagues, previous and current student mentees, and members of
undocumented student support networks were invited to be interviewed, but only if they had
attended a community college. Student organizations focusing on supporting undocumented
students in the CCC sector were contacted to help gather potential research subjects. For the
participants who participated in one-on-one interviews or had the intentions of doing this study
were informed of what the study was about prior to agreeing to participate in it. The interview
protocols were shared with all participants and they were made aware that, at any time during the
interview or afterwards, they could retract their responses. Also, there was an initial connection
made between the interviewer and interviewee by sharing commonalities. Once the study was
approved, interviews were took place in February and March. Consent forms were drafted ahead
of time and were eventually removed as part of the requirement to protect the identity of the
students involved. All interviews were transcribed and coded by mid-April. The informed
consent form included the purpose of the study, research questions, the importance of the topic,
and how the data help answer the research questions and provide future recommendations to
policymakers, higher education professionals, and others who work with undocumented students.
This consent form only required a verbal agreement.

UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 53
Protocols
Interview protocols are mainly used in qualitative research studies and are provided to
participants for audio/video recording purposes and writing/note-taking information during
interviews (Creswell, 2009). Tools were handheld audio recorders, a MacBook Air computer,
iPhones, and pen and paper note-taking. A protocol was used with all participants, so they would
be aware of what they were agreeing to by participating and what was taking place during the
interviews.
All interviews were anonymous and confidential. To facilitate note-taking, interviews are
audio recorded. Only researchers on the project knew about the recordings and they were
destroyed after they were transcribed. No copies were made. In addition, a form were designed to
meet human subject requirements. Essentially, the document stated all information would be held
confidential and anonymous, participation was voluntary, participants could opt out at any time,
and the researchers did not intend to inflict any harm on anyone. Each interview lasted 60 to 90
minutes. Interviews were only extended to a few individuals who participated in a post-
interview. Each individual was identified as someone with a wealth of knowledge about
immigration and classified as an undocumented college student with or without DACA status.
Once students agreed to participate, the researcher conducted interviews.
Trustworthiness and Credibility
To ensure validity and reliability, as noted by Merriam and Tisdell (2016), the researcher
collected, analyzed and interpreted the data. Triangulating data from multiple sources allowed
the author to ensure validity (Creswell, 2009). Interviewing undocumented community college
graduates with DACA status and those without DACA status brought data from different groups
of sources. Also, having an even ratio of men and women helped this study. The interviews
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 54
consisted of a series of questions previously shared participants and followed-up with open
ended questions. Interviews lasted no more than 90 minutes, but they were extended to longer
periods of time to make sure participants did not feel rushed or like they were being silent or shut
down in between responses.
As soon as the interviews were transcribed, the researcher used member checking with
each interview to determine the accuracy of the study’s qualitative findings (Creswell, 2009).
Responses were reiterated during the interviews and once the information was transcribed,
follow-up interviews were scheduled and conducted to further explain or modify responses that
might stick out during the initial interview (Creswell, 2009). Once copies of the transcribed
interviews were available, they were provided to all participants to verify the information was
accurate and ask if there was anything else as they saw fit with the interviews.
According to Merriam and Tisdell (2016) credibility is when a researcher’s influence
plays a role on what is being researched, and how the analysis of the data can also affect the
researcher’s life. Currently undocumented students in the United States are experiencing
uncertainty towards their future aspirations to succeed in postsecondary education, mainly due to
the recent events that have taken place under our new presidential administration since January
of 2018. These events affected the lives of all undocumented immigrants in the United Statesand
the day-to-day operations at colleges and universities.
Undocumented students have been under attack by federal, state, or local governments
and they feel out of place or like they do not belong and matter in the United States. If their
institutions are silent about the current issues or they are tied to federal funding, undocumented
students might be experiencing like they are not integral to their universities if they are not being
vocal about their support. Why should they continue pursuing their education? As for state
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 55
governments, some have been vocal in support of undocumented students, some have stayed
silent, and others have passed resolutions in support of Donald Trump’s political agendas;
affecting the lives of many undocumented students and putting them through state of transition,
which the outcome can either be negative or positive. Also, if their institutions support
undocumented students, but the cities they live in do not, it might be discouraging for students to
continue pursuing a postsecondary education there, which will prevent them from continuing to
succeed in their educational trajectory. An assumption can be made that the current
undocumented college student experience is different than those who went to school 10, 15 or 20
years ago. Attending a public two-year community college in California before 2011 was more
difficult in comparison to the most recent policies: CA DREAM Act, DACA, and other
immigrant related friendly policies. These biases were noted and taken into consideration when
following-through with this study.
Conclusion
With the recent decision to rescind DACA, it was important to understand what is going
on in the undocumented student community to provide the best resources and opportunities for
them during this crucial time. The current presidential administration is shaking up uncertainty
for undocumented immigrants looking to pursue their college and career aspirations. The United
States government is once again making it more difficult for them to access an education and
afterwards, using their credentials to work legally or remain in this country. Through this study,
the researcher showcased the findings and themes to push government officials to support these
students. Protocols were completed and submitted to the IRB in February/March. Convenience
sampling and snowball sampling began through the Fall semester of 2018 until enough research
participants agreed to participate. One-on-one interviews began and were completed in March
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 56
and they were fully transcribed by the first week of April. From then, the data were coded to
discover new themes or trends. Chapters One through Three were continuously edited thereafter
for flow, and Chapters Four and Five were drafted as soon as all the data were collected and
coded.

UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 57
CHAPTER FOUR: FINDINGS
The purpose of this study was to understand how undocumented students achieve
academic success in CCC as they are confronted with multiple obstacles during different
segments of their education. The study examined how the lives of undocumented students were
similar or different pre-college, in community college, and once they transferred to a 4-year
institution. Additionally, the study aimed to understand how each transition in these participants’
lives, whether positive or negative, affected their decisions to pursue postsecondary education.
In this chapter, the findings are presented by focusing on the overall journey of the six
participants and connecting their stories to the political climate during their time in community
college to understand how they overcame challenges and succeeded. The study was guided by
the following research questions:
1. What approaches did undocumented students in California community colleges use to
navigate through the college systems and succeed?
a. How do current approaches differ, or are they the same, from those who graduated
from California community colleges during different time periods?
2. How are institutions of higher education creating safe campus climates that support
undocumented students and their success?
The findings derived through a series of guided questions from the interviews that were
shared by all six participants. A mini pre-survey was also administered vocally to all participants
prior to each interview to have a better idea of when they attended community college, the
location of the community college, and the years in which they were enrolled before they
transferred to a 4-year institution. In the first part of the chapter, contextual information is shared
regarding how the study participants were selected, their personal background information, and
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 58
what prompted them to pursue education at a CCC. Second, an overview of the study will be
presented by sharing key points of all the interview findings; third, all the themes are presented
alongside their importance. Finally, a summary of Chapter Four is detailed and followed by a
conclusion.
Study Participants
Interview invitations were sent to 14 undocumented individuals who had graduated from
a CCC. Out of those 14 students, eight agreed to participate in the initial study, and they were all
CC graduates from the Greater Los Angeles area. Eventually, two were dropped from the study
due to no response when trying to finalize the interview dates and times. From the six who
agreed to be interviewed, three participants identified as female and three as male, and they had
either graduated from community college prior to 2011 or after. This timeframe was noted since
three very important pro-immigration state policies were enacted in California after 2011 along
with one federal action. The one-on-one interviews were semi-structured, conducted in-person or
over the phone, in a public or private setting, and lasted between 60 and 90 minutes. For the
protection and safety of all the study participants and their alma maters, the names listed
throughout this study are pseudonyms and are not connected to a participant or the community
college they attended. Table 4 provides background information on the participants.

UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 59
Table 4
Participants
Participant Osvaldo Alicia Carina Juan Angelica Alvin
Gender Male Female Female Male Female Male
Semester/Year
1
st
Enrolled
Summer
2005
Fall 2007 Fall 2007 Fall 2013 Fall 2014 Fall 2016
Semester/Year
Completed
Spring
2018
Spring
2010
Spring
2010
Spring
2017
Spring
2016
Spring
2018
Time-Off 10 No No No No No
Number of
Years in CC
13 3 3 3 2 2
State &
Federal
Policies
AB 540
AB
130/131
DACA
AB 540 AB 540 AB
130/131
AB 540
DACA
AB
130/131
AB 540
DACA
AB
130/131
AB 540
DACA
Semester/Year
Transferred
to a 4-Year
Fall 2018 Fall 2010 Fall 2010 Fall 2017 Fall 2016 Fall 2018

Participant 1: Osvaldo
Osvaldo was born in a small town in Guatemala. When he was six, his father immigrated
to the United States to pursue a better life for him and his family. In 1991, after two years of
working and living in the United States, Osvaldo’s father saved enough money to send for his
family so they could be reunited with him. Osvaldo and his mother migrated to Tijuana, Mexico,
first and had to determine how to enter the United States. Since Osvaldo was underage, he could
cross into the United States using his cousin’s birth certificate, but his mother crossed using fake
documentation and was caught and deported to Guatemala. His father had to save money again
to send for his mother to attempt a second time. However, after waiting over a year, his mother
decided not to attempt a second crossing and was hopeful that her husband and son would
eventually move to Guatemala. Osvaldo never physically saw his mother again.
Osvaldo and his father settled in Los Angeles to be closer to family who had previously
settled there. After receiving advice from his family, Osvaldo’s father enrolled him immediately
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 60
in school. Osvaldo enjoyed school in Guatemala and he was hopeful that he would enjoy his new
school in Los Angeles as well. There were no issues enrolling Osvaldo into elementary, middle,
and high school; however, reality kicked in when he reached his senior year in high school as he
explained to me:
When I was a senior in high school, when the college applications were going on what
happened is … I was always under the impression I had some legal status because I had a
social security number and I never had any issues using it when I enrolled in school and
other programs. Because when we arrived we filed for asylum and all that stuff. But I
learned my senior year that our applications were never processed and the lawyer my dad
contracted scammed us. The social security number I had was fake or I had an ITIN
number. I can’t remember which one it was, but it was one of those two.
Although Osvaldo expressed he was lost and confused about what he was going to do
about college, he remained hopeful and stayed on track to graduate from high school.
Osvaldo had many passions and personal goals he hoped to achieve. One was to graduate
from high school and eventually be college graduate. The entire purpose of his family migrating
to the United States was for everyone to live a better life, which meant getting an education in
Osvaldo’s parents eyes. Osvaldo wanted “to have that trophy [a college degree]” for his parents
and himself. Osvaldo was also determined to play soccer and hopefully be scouted by top
recruiters, while balancing his academic life in school and on the field. Prior to enrolling in a
community college from the Greater Los Angeles area back in 2005, Osvaldo shared the first
time he ever “came out” to anyone:
I remember the reaction from my coach when I told him I did not have the proper
documentation to attend college. He was under the impression I was from here or at least
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 61
had legal status. I told him I still was going to go to college and hopefully play soccer
there as well. He was the one that informed me of AB540. The administration from my
high school and high school counselors did not tell me about AB540. I applied right
before I graduated so I can enroll in the summer. If it wasn’t for the coach, I would have
not known about AB540.
Osvaldo’s high school soccer coach helped him go to college by sharing accurate college
enrollment information with him; if not, Osvaldo would have easily paid out-of-state tuition the
first summer semester without knowing of this policy that grants in-state tuition to
undocumented students who meet specific requirements. Since the policy was still very recent,
many administrators, staff, or faculty were unaware of the benefits AB540 provided to
undocumented students. Also, many undocumented students in 2005 were also not coming out
publicly about their undocumented status.
Participant 2: Alicia
Alicia’s father moved to Southern California to seek better employment opportunities to
support them and, during that time, her mother received news she was pregnant with Alicia.
Alicia was born in Acapulco, Guerrero, and was the youngest of three siblings. This gave her
father enough time to save money and pay for a coyote to smuggle his family into the United
States. Many Spanish speakers, south of the U.S./Mexican border, refer to a coyote as someone
who smuggles people across the U.S./Mexican border in exchange for a fee. As soon as Alicia
turned one, her father paid a family member to bring her and her family to the United States. In
1990 the coyote crossed Alicia and her family through the U.S./Mexican border by using fake
green cards and U.S. birth certificates. Alicia had no recollection of this event taking place in
her life.
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 62
Alicia’s earliest memories in life were enrolling in pre-school and beginning her
education in Orange County and eventually switching over to an elementary school in South Los
Angeles. This is when her father decided to have the family closer to his workplace and extended
family. Since Alicia’s parents did not have an opportunity to pursue an education growing up,
she remembers her parents instilling the idea to her and her siblings of the importance of getting
an education and graduating from high school:
All my parents ever wanted was for my brothers and I to go to school, do homework, and
graduate from high school. College was never mentioned or ever talked about. My
parents saw graduating from high school as the ultimate prize in the United States. I
wanted to make them proud, so that is what I was determined to do. Especially after my
two older brothers dropped out from high school. Even though my parents were upset of
their choice to drop out, eventually they were okay with it since my sibling went into the
family business.
Alicia wanted to prove to her parents that she was capable of completing her secondary
education. She did that in the spring of 2007 when she graduated from high school and even
received acceptance letters from several colleges, over exceeding her parent’s expectations by
choosing to continue onto her postsecondary education.
Alicia enrolled at UC Santa Barbara and began classes immediately that following fall
quarter. Alicia expressed she was fortunate to receive several scholarships during her high school
senior year to cover her first-year’s tuition and only had to worry about paying for her room and
board:
I had picked up a fake social and ID from a man known for selling them near the Superior
market near my parent’s home before I left to college. During the first week of classes, I
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 63
went all over [Isla Vista] and Goleta to apply to jobs like at Jack-in-the-Box, Subway,
and Freebirds. They hired me after a day or two at Jack, so I wasted no time and accepted
the offer. I needed to work right away. This helped pay for some of my expenses, but,
thankfully, my parents agreed to help me out too. I was able to do well in school that Fall
quarter but Winter quarter was tough. My middle brother was deported and my dad’s tire
and wheel business was doing extremely bad as the recession began. I remember I
reached out to my Upward Bound counselor for help. She was the one that helped me
apply to college and told me about the scholarships and how to get AB540. After
speaking to her, reality kicked in and I did not return to UCSB that Spring quarter
following our school’s spring break.
Alicia’s Upward Bound counselor helped her with college applications and transitioning into
UCSB. She relied on her counselor during high school and even while in college. Alicia
mentioned her counselor helped her choose the best community college to attend upon returning
to Los Angeles: a community college highly supportive of undocumented students. Alicia’s
transition leaving a college and returning home to hard circumstances was not easy, but she was
motivated to pursue her postsecondary education.
Participant 3: Carina
Carina was born in Michoacán, Mexico, in 1988, and, three years later, her family
migrated to the United States. Carina mentioned her father immigrated first to pursue better
employment and economic opportunities and then her mother and siblings followed in 1991.
Carina’s family first settled in East Los Angeles. Carina remembers the first time her parents and
her East LA community instilled fear of la migra on her and others when her uncle, among other
workers, was picked up by Immigration Custom Enforcement (ICE) agents, during an
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 64
immigration raid at factory warehouse, and deported. Since then, many members of the
community saw law enforcement or similar agencies as not trustworthy, especially regarding
their immigration status. Carina’s parents told her that, anytime anyone asked about her status
“que no digas que no tienes papeles. Diles que eres ciudadana,” (do not say you do not have legal
status, tell them you are a citizen). Therefore, Carina always knew she was undocumented, but
she did not understand the limitations her status carried. Carina went through the K-12 public
school system like any other student, and she was never confronted about her immigration status
until her junior year of high school during college application season:
In high school, I was part of the AVID program and during our junior year they actually
would have us complete the college applications, as if we were seniors. Of course the
first question that comes up is usually about your social security number or immigration
status. So that’s when I started to understand more about my limitations. Also, when I
was trying to get my work permit – you have to get it approved from your high school in
order to work. So it was different events like that and talking to my parents about what I
have, confirmed it—like no, you don’t have a social security number and you were not
born here.
Carina had to think strategically what she was going to do during the last two years of high
school to work, save money, and apply to colleges.
Carina has a twin sister and both were undocumented when applying to colleges. In high
school, they were both enrolled in college preparatory programs, Advancement Placement and
honors courses, and were deemed college-bound. It was difficult to know their parents were
unable to afford to put them both through college or even pay for their college application fees:
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 65
We did all this work for nothing, but my sister and I had a counselor that was learning
about AB540 at the time and she asked us to attend a conference with her at Cal State
Dominguez Hills to get informed about AB540. I think it was beneficial that I had my
sister with me because I was not doing it alone, whereas others sometimes go in it alone.
That conference was pretty much what gave us hope and assured us we were still college-
bound, but we had to go through a different route. That different route was community
college because it was more affordable. Even though I was learning all about this, I had a
lot mixed emotions and I simply saw the situation as ‘it is what it is’ and I just needed to
move forward. If it was not for my high school counselor, I probably would have not
gone to college immediately after graduating from high school. She helped us apply to
community college and connected us with the right people at that community college.
Carina expressed the hardship she endured after finding out she and her sister were not going to
go directly into a 4-year institution due to financial barriers, even though she worked diligently
to meet the A-G requirements and maintain a high grade point average to be eligible to apply.
Carina did not go into further details about her counselor but she made it clear that if it were not
for her, she probably would have put aside pursuing a college education.
Participant 4: Juan
Juan was born as soon as his mother returned to the City of Puebla, her hometown, after
being in the United States for over a year with her husband. Since Juan would be their first child,
she and her husband decided it would be best, mainly due to their Mexican pride, for her to
return home and give birth to their first born in their hometown, never considering that it would
be an issue later on in life if she was to return to the United States with him. As soon as she
recovered, her husband saved enough money and immediately asked her to return to Los Angeles
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 66
with their child. Juan was not even three months old when he and his mother arrived to a newly
leased apartment near Downtown Los Angeles in 1994.
Juan’s parents enrolled him in pre-school as soon as he became eligible and eventually
into an elementary school near Pico Union, the neighborhood where he grew up. During his
primary school years, Juan was recognized as gifted and his schoolteachers and administrators
suggested his parents encourage him to uphold the importance of an education as he continued
on this path. He followed along and continued to do well. Eventually, Juan enrolled in middle
school and high school, only selecting honors and Advanced Placement courses, putting him in a
college-bound path. During his junior year in high school, Juan applied to a federal TRIO
Program called Upward Bound, which prepares students for postsecondary education and has
them experience the college life by spending summers living on a college campus and enrolling
in college-like courses:
I applied Fall of my junior year in high school to Upward Bound. I remember leaving the
social security question blank, since my parents always told me to just put zeros in all
school forms that asked for socials. I never thought much of it, but I remember the day
my UB counselor asked me for my social security number after I was already accepted
into the program. I told her I never had one and she asked me if I knew if I was
undocumented or if I was born here. I told her I always knew I was born in Mexico but I
practically lived here my whole life. She told me to not tell anyone and she was going to
try to figure something out for me to stay in the program.
This became the beginning of Juan’s curiosity of what it meant to be undocumented or without
proper documentation, like a social security number, in the United States. Juan’s counselor found
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 67
a way to keep him in the program and she became his mentor his last two years of high school
when he was preparing to apply to 4-year colleges and universities.
Juan’s Upward Bound counselor provided separate training for him and another student
that included information relevant to undocumented students, while his peers received the more
generic training like federal and state financial aid workshops, and scholarship applications:
If it were not for my UB counselor helping me, I probably would have not had the
advantage to learn about my status early on. She provided me with helpful resources like
scholarships I was able to apply for or using my ITIN number instead of a social, or how
to get college fee waivers. Even though she tried her best to get me to apply and enroll in
a 4-year institution, once I received my first bill to UC Berkeley I knew my parents and I
could not afford it. I was so sad and felt cheated by the policies ‘cause I worked hard and
deserved to go to a 4-year. But eventually I got over it and began community college.
Juan’s UB counselor guided him during his last two years in high school to help him understand
AB540 and prepared him for hardships he might endure in higher education. When he realized
he would not attend UC Berkeley in the fall, Juan and his counselor researched nearby
community colleges which would be a good fit for him. He eventually settled on one and kept
close communication with this counselor.
Participant 5: Angelica
Angelica’s father left Oaxaca and migrated to the United States a few months before she
was born to find a way to provide for his family. Angelica was born in the city of Oaxaca in
1996 and was the youngest of three siblings. Eventually, Angelica’s father saved enough money
and flew them out to Tijuana, Baja California, before he worked with a close friend to help cross
them over and transport them to Los Angeles, where she has lived her entire life. In 1999,
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 68
Angelica, her mother and her two older sisters crossed the San Ysidro border into to the United
States using borrowed birth certificates and identifications. Angelica does not recall much during
that period of time, but she does remember meeting her father for the first time when she arrived
to Los Angeles.
Since Angelica’s parents were unable to complete their education, they did not want their
daughters to miss out on an education and making something of themselves in this new country.
Therefore, her parents emphasized education for their daughters, and it seemed to work.
Angelica’s older sister was the first one to learn about applying to and enrolling in college:
My oldest sister was actually born here. So, my oldest sister actually went to college right
after high school. She went to a 4-year university in the State of Michigan. She was
always the example of the family, so me and my other sister would always follow her
examples. Overall, we always felt like we had to go to college after high school. So, I
think I always had that mind set. I have known my entire life I was undocumented. It’s
not like it was a secret or anything like that about being undocumented, but I never
thought about it and neither did my middle sister until it was time we had to apply to
colleges.
Angelica always followed her older sisters’ footsteps, enrolling in the same public schools, after
school programs, and classes. One program she mentioned was AVID: “I feel like AVID was
always supportive in the best way they could be” said Angelica when explaining her experience
with the program. She mentioned,
My sister above me wanted to go to college but that was before DACA and so she was
having a lot of problems in terms of money situation so that is when she decided to go to
community college. But the AVID coordinator told her she was disappointed in her
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 69
because she should be going to a 4-year school. She knew her potential and she knew she
was able to do it. The AVID coordinator just did not understand it – the struggle of being
undocumented is different. So, the AVID coordinator connected my sister to her husband,
a dean at a nearby community college. So, with me, I feel like they were like okay well
you are going to college, too. They knew I was undocumented too so they enrolled me
into the two-year community college as well.
Even though Angelica had DACA status and qualified for the California DREAM Act, making
her eligible for financial aid in California public 4-year institutions, she followed her middle
sister’s path and go through the community college path to save some money. Angelica felt very
supportive during her entire high school career thanks to the road paved by her middle sister. Her
sister experienced many roadblocks along the way through high school and college, but she
mentored Angelica along the way with information on what not to do, where to apply, and how
to utilize her resources. Angelica’s older sister did not want her to experience the same
roadblocks she endured along the way. Eventually, her sister transferred to a 4-year university in
Northern California, and Angelica began postsecondary education in a community college in the
Greater Los Angeles area.
Participant 6: Alvin
Alvin was born in 1998 in Mexico City, Mexico. When he was seven, Alvin and his
mother flew to Tijuana and remained there living with close relatives until his uncle found a way
to cross them over to the United States to be reconnected with his father. Alvin vaguely
remembers studying his cousin’s birth certificate for a week or two in case border patrol were to
ask him any questions pertaining to his identity, while his mother was preparing to cross
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 70
overnight through the desert guided by a coyote. They both crossed on the same week and
reunited with Alvin’s father in Los Angeles.
Alvin was previously enrolled in a public elementary school in Mexico City and knew no
English. Transitioning to a new elementary school midway through the year and in the second
grade was difficult. Eventually, Alvin excelled in his primary school years. In high school, Alvin
applied to Upward Bound and this was the first time he experienced an obstacle in his journey to
higher education:
In high school, the program that took us to college tours…I think it was Upward Bound. I
remember I got the form to apply, which was one of the times I actually cared about an
after school program ‘cause I wanted to experience living in the dorms. So it got to the
point when they were asking about my security number and I remember going up to the
teacher asking if I can skip that step. She said no, I needed to fill-in that space. That was
one of my first experiences I had with my immigration status. Things like these hold me
back from opportunities to do better, but it did not stop me. I decided not to apply.
Alvin could not enroll in Upward Bound due to not being a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
However, he searched for other opportunities to help him prepare for college.
Alvin was “ashamed to tell people [he] was not from this country” during high school,
mainly due to the stereotypes that came with being an undocumented immigrant. Alvin
mentioned to no one of his undocumented status. He eventually applied to a 4-year institution
and when he received his acceptance letter to Cal State LA, he also received a pricy billing
invoice for his Fall semester tuition and room and board. Immediately, Alvin knew he could not
afford going straight to a 4-year institution and instead opted in for applying to a community
college nearby.
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 71
Overview of Study Findings
Two major findings discovered in the initial data analysis resulted in several themes. The
first finding showed all immigrant and education policies pertaining to undocumented students
had a direct effect on participants’ education. The first theme highlighted that participants relied
on pro-immigrant and education policies, not just one over the other. The second theme showed
the more pro-immigrant and education policies are institutionalized in the state and federal
governments, the more undocumented students tend to blend in with the campus community,
allowing them to focus on other priorities. This kept Juan, Angelica, and Alvin from getting
involved with on- or off-campus organizations relating to their immigration status. The third
theme displayed that the passage of anti-immigration policies or the stripping of current pro-
immigration policies create uncertainty for undocumented immigrants and institutions of higher
education, but it brings the undocumented community and its allies closer together.
This first finding shows participants relied on policy, especially in California, to pay for
in-state tuition, apply for state grants and institutional aid, and to receive work permits and social
security numbers to seek employment and protected status. However, this information is only
important and helpful if it is being disseminated in advance. As these students receive further
information regarding their immigration status and they begin to learn more about their options,
they will go through a series of transitions. Schlossberg’s theory of transition was used to
understand the process these students went through to succeed academically in CCCs. The more
participants learned and understood about their status and the options available to them, the more
they were motivated to transition positively through different stages of their education.
The second finding that appeared in the data collection showed that institutional support
continues to be central to undocumented students’ success in postsecondary education. The first
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 72
theme was mentors play a central role in undocumented students’ college access as they learn
about their status and understand federal and state policies on immigration and education. The
second theme showcased that, even though higher education professionals have the best
intention, many are still very uninformed on guiding these students. The third theme showed
university-sponsored spaces dedicated specifically for undocumented students and/or for the
purpose of sharing knowledge on immigration resources to educate the campus community are
beneficial to. This finding is consistent with the literature on certain aspects of providing
institutional support for the well-being and success of undocumented students as they undergo
multiple transitions. Since there is support being offered, these students are more likely to take a
positive direction and achieve better outcomes.
Finding One: State and Federal Policies Have Both Positive and Negative Direct Impacts
on Undocumented Student Lives
The six interviews provided an abundant of rich data to review from the undocumented
students who attended CCCs during a time when multiple immigration and education policies
were being considered or were signed into law. The participants attended CCCs in the Greater
Los Angeles area as early as the summer of 2005 through the spring of 2018. During this time,
they benefitted from four statewide and federal pro-immigration and education policies:
California Assembly Bills 540 (2001), 130 (2011) and 131 (2011), and the federal executive
order, DACA (2011). Also to consider were numerous legislations floating around Congress and
state governments, similar to California’s Proposition 187, like U.S. HR 4437 and Arizona’s
SB1070, which ultimately brought fear amongst immigrant communities across the country. The
federal DREAM Act was also introduced and re-introduced in the early 2000s, which brought
hope for those looking for a clear pathway to citizenship in the United States. The most updated
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 73
version of the previous Federal DREAM Act is now called the American Dream and Promise
Act of 2019 and it was recently put up for a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives on June 4,
2019 and it passed – 228, yeas; 192, nays (House of Representatives, 2019). This bill is now with
the U.S. Senate. Every piece of legislation, good or bad, presented, passed, and/or signed into
law has a direct impact on the lives of undocumented immigrants.
Theme one: All pro-immigration and education policies matter. California’s AB540,
AB130, AB131, and the federal program DACA were all identified by student participants as the
main reasons to pursue their college education after finding out of their undocumented status.
Depending on when the study participants were enrolled in community college, at least one or all
policies made a difference in their lives due to the benefits the policies provided. Three of the six
participants were only eligible for AB540 when they started community college, while the other
three benefited from all four policies when they started.
Osvaldo, Alicia and Carina expressed they initially discovered they were undocumented
during their junior year in high school as they were preparing to apply for colleges. Carina was
devastated and expressed that she prepared since middle school to be college-bound ready by her
senior year in high school:
I did all this work for nothing. I was college-bound and then all of a sudden I found out
that I was not because of my immigration status. I had been involved with college
preparatory programs since middle school. I know my family was not going to be able to
afford it.
Carina expressed how quickly her mindset turned around from one day hoping to be the first in
her family to pursue a college education to then having her dreams shattered and being uncertain
of what her future holds. Osvaldo saw this as a challenge but immediately sought for help from
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 74
his college counselor. Unfortunately, she was unaware of how to provide Osvaldo any support
since she did not know whether undocumented students were even eligible to go to colleges and
universities in the United States. After being asked what their plans were after high school,
Osvaldo, Alicia and Carina revealed their undocumented status to a high school English teacher,
an afterschool sports coach, and a college preparatory program counselor. The people they
opened up to were somewhat knowledgeable on the subject and assured them they were still
college-bound. After each student became informed of AB540, they conducted research on the
topic because they could prove they attended a high school in California for at least three years.
Their primary concern was how were they going to afford to pay for their education if they were
ineligible for financial aid and certain scholarships. Nonetheless, they were happy to find out
they were still college-bound and were going to pay the same tuition as any other California
resident. They had high hopes and thought they would eventually find a way to pay for school,
wither by working for cash, receiving help from family members or by being awarded
scholarships.
Juan, Angelica, and Alvin underwent a slightly different experience, since more pro-
immigrant and education policies were enacted by the time they began college. Juan and
Angelica were very aware of their status early on in high school, which helped them prepare for
the challenges that were to come ahead. Also, Juan and Angelica knew people in their lives that
went through college as undocumented students beforehand and they connected with them to
receive tips/resources before they embarked on this new journey. Angelica was the youngest
sibling of three and her middle sister was undocumented – “I feel so fortunate to have had my
older sister as a mentor. She made it easy for me. I applied to the same community college she
went to and what programs I needed to be involved in, and when I needed to apply for DACA,
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 75
AB540 and the California DREAM Act.” Alvin was always aware of his immigration status
since he first migrated to the United States, but he decided not to share his status with anyone
after his first roadblock with Upward Bound in high school. Since he was unaware of what was
available to him like AB540, the California DREAM Act, and DACA, Alvin paid for his
coursework out-of-pocket for the first semester in community college but he did apply for
AB540 only because a counselor asked him to do so; however, the counselor did not help him in
any other way apply for state funding because he missed the deadline. That first semester Alvin
got the courage to share his story with someone:
One of the reasons why I gained that courage to come out was because of an English
professor I took my first semester, which is now my mentor. Most of my experiences I’ve
had with white professors have always been negative, but she broke that. The way that
she taught the class was driven through a social justice lens and brought real life issues,
like immigration, to the discussion. She was the opposite – she really wanted to help us
and took time to work with us and cared. She also connected me to the right people to
apply for the California DREAM Act and DACA.
Alvin became more optimistic about his future as he continued to work with his newly found
mentor. That first semester in community college Alvin got to the point where he was proud to
share his identity to help support current and future undocumented community college students
who are struggling with similar issues.
All participants were experiencing transitions in their lives as they were preparing to
enroll in college and depart from high school, but they saw these obstacle as positive outlooks
after finding out they were still on track to pursue their education dreams with the help of
policies for students in their situation. Policy matters and these students were more optimistic
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 76
than ever before when finding out they were eligible to pay in-state tuition with AB540, apply
for California state financial aid and grants with AB 130 and 131, and even apply for a social
security number, work permit, and have protection from deportation with DACA. All policies
play a high significance role, not just one, to the success of these students’ educational trajectory.
Theme two: Benefits of post-institutionalized policy changes. The second theme
showed two different student experiences: undocumented students who benefited from only one
institutionalized policy while attending community college prior to 2011 and students who
benefited from a series of institutionalized policies while attending community college after
2011. Osvaldo, Alicia, and Carina benefited from AB540 when they were enrolled in community
college, which helped them save money by not paying out-of-state fees. Even though they were
eligible to pay in-state tuition, they still had many limited resources like being eligible for certain
scholarships or any financial aid, access to employment and internship opportunities, and they
were in constant fear that they can be deported any day if they were caught by ICE. Also, they
expressed that many higher education professionals were unknowledgeable about undocumented
students when they would open up about their status, which brought up emotions like anger,
frustration, and sadness.
Even with these transitions taking a toll on their mental health, these students kept trying
to persist. This group of students decided, if they wanted things to change, they needed to
become involved, share their stories and educate their peers. “I eventually joined the student
board on campus to do something about helping students like me,” said Alicia. “I was in student
government in high school and if we wanted to make change, it would start there.” During
Alicia’s last two years in community college she became more active with advocacy work on
and off-campus – mainly around the DREAM ACT; Carina participated in multiple on-campus
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 77
committees to increase awareness about her experience as an AB540 student; and, Osvaldo
worked with a faculty member to create an AB540 teach-in training for his community college.
Overall, undocumented students in this era kept constantly pushing their campuses officials and
their state and federal lawmakers to do more to continue supporting undocumented students in
higher education. Historically, community colleges have faced many challenges when it comes
to increasing student engagement. The fact that community colleges are commuter schools and
many students simply only come for class and leave right after, makes it hard for students to get
involved with their campus community.
Juan, Angelica and Alvin attended community college after 2011 and their experience
was different than their earlier colleagues because of new policies implemented state and nation-
wide. They benefited AB540 AB130/131, which provide access to state grants and institutional
financial aid grants, and DACA, which provides protection from deportation, a social security
number, and eligibility for a permit to legally work in the United States. Due to these policies,
Juan, Angelica, and Alvin refrained from either “coming out” to people about their immigration
status when they were in college or getting involved with the on-campus community or outside
organizations dedicated to helping undocumented immigrants. “I did not find the need to tell
anyone anymore. Aside from family, my financial aid counselor was the only one that knew I
was undocumented,” said Angelica as she shared her experience her first year enrolled in
community college. She added, “Plus I needed to work to support my family. I would go to class,
go home to eat, and then go to work.” Angelica was eligible for DACA and she applied for jobs
as soon as she received her work permit.
Undocumented students like Osvaldo, Alicia, and Carina advocated for change in the
state and federal level and lawmakers listened. With the support of allies and legislators,
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 78
California passed legislation to further support undocumented college students. Also, the Obama
Administration worked with undocumented immigrants, allies, and politicians to draft the DACA
executive order. Since these policies were enacted, newer generations of undocumented students
enter college without being so overwhelmed and can focus on other matters like supporting their
family financially, applying to internships or job opportunities previously unavailable to
undocumented students, or simply enjoying their newfound adult life. The road was slowly
paved for these students, as the older generations of undocumented students sought to normalize
the undocumented student experience and provide equitable resources for them. In the end, both
groups of students succeeded with what they had available to them.
Theme three: Effects of new presidential administrations. The future of
undocumented students at the hands of new presidential administrations is always unknown,
which creates uncertainty. New presidential administrations change every four to eight years
when new presidents are elected and so can policy. On October 2017 the Trump Administration
rescinded DACA within the first year in office. This brought chaos within the undocumented
student community and its allies. What happens when new policies are introduced that affects the
lives of undocumented students in a negative way? Or, what happens when current pro-
immigration and education policy, which hundreds of thousands of people benefit from, is
rescinded overnight and eventually phased out? Well, chaos erupts. Especially from those who
directly benefit from this policy.
All study participants had either transferred into a 4-year institution or were attending
graduate school when the Trump Administration rescinded DACA. Only Alvin was in
community college when these changes were occurring. Angelica shared what was going on in
her life during these transitions:
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 79
It was chaos, traumatic, and it was horrible. It was just a lot of unknown and uncertainty
and then me and my sister were still both in college and we did not know what we were
going to do. This gave us a wakeup call that this is not permanent and we cannot solely
rely on DACA and being safe by it. It is not a permanent program. That urges people to
want something more permanent.
Angelica sought resources from her undergraduate institution immediately after DACA was
rescinded. Since this event affects her future success, she became involved with the DREAM
Resource Center on campus to discern what was going to happen and what steps she needed to
take to continue in school.
Alvin was the only participant from this study enrolled in community college when this
announcement was made”
I will not deny that I felt like I had to re-think my goals and prepare for a plan b. It was a
hard time. Will I be able accomplish my goals to help retire my dad and help provide the
financial support to my family? But then it came down to the point … one of the
ideologies I follow is that people cannot be living in fear that prevent them from doing
things. Politicians use that ideology to oppress people. I just don’t allow it to get to me. I
won’t give up.
Even though Alvin received his DACA for two years, he sought support from the on-campus
DREAM Resource Center to better understand what was going on. This was the first time Alvin
became involved with the DREAM Resource Center at his community college, so this new event
marked the start of a new transition in his life.
Osvaldo, Alicia, and Carina were full-on DACA recipients when this announcement was
made; however, these individuals were involved with their institution or community prior to the
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 80
announcement. These students went through college and experienced being fully undocumented
without protection from deportation, a social security number or a worth authorization permit.
All three participants were shocked and worried for others when this action was announced but
they had experienced being in this country without some form of legalization in the past. To
them, they automatically switched gears to what they had done in the past. For example, Osvaldo
mentioned in his interview that “in the United States you cannot work without legal status, but
you can start your own business. I would do that if it came down to it.” He already had a plan in
motion if the day ever came when DACA would be removed as policy. Carina stated that, if her
job fired her due to an expired work permit, she would look for employment in the non-profit
sector where she used to sub-contract while she was undocumented.
These two groups of students had a different experience when DACA was announced
that it would be rescinded. The results were chaos for the newer generation of undocumented
students who benefited from more resources than the older generation; however, the older
generation of undocumented students had prior experience in maneuvering through the unjust
system to make things work for them while in college and post-college. Even though the newer
generation of undocumented students erupted in chaos and uncertainty, they knew resources like
the DREAM Centers were available for their usage so they sought their support. Many of them
had never reached out before, so, instead of quitting or transitioning into a negative event in their
lives, they sought help from spaces dedicated to their success.
Finding Two: Institutional Support is Central to Undocumented Students ’ Success
The second finding showed that institutional support continues to be important to the
academic success of undocumented students in postsecondary education. Creating a welcoming
and safe campus climate for all is usually a top priority for institutions of higher education and
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 81
majority of the time these institutions will have this information listed on their mission and/or
vision statements. Participants from this study shared during their interviews the type of support
or lack of support the community colleges offered or did not offer to them while being enrolled.
Three major themes emerged from the interviews focusing on role models, educating others on
this topic, and the importance of safe spaces on campus. The first theme centered on role models,
which connects to mentoring, as well as those who are modeling behaviors to the greater campus
community. The second theme was the need to continue educating others or just people in
general who are unaware of undocumented or the policies to help them succeed, since there are
continuously new staff, students, and faculty joining the community college every year. The third
theme was on the importance of safe spaces on campus to ensure undocumented students feel
safe and protected. These were consistent issues throughout the six community colleges in the
Greater Los Angeles area that were noted by all participants in the six interviews.
Theme one: Establishing relationships and trust amongst staff, faculty, and
students. The six study participants expressed the importance of role models, advocacy work,
and emotional support. They shared during their interviews that they would only disclose their
status to staff, faculty, and/or students who seemed open-minded and approachable around
sensitive issues like immigration. They also shared that simply being available to talk to them
before or after class or when they showed up to their offices unexpectedly and were willing to
listen to them certainly helped establish that relationship and trust with these students. Alvin
mentioned during his interview that his mentor introduced him to other people that shared with
him beneficial information on how to pay for college, like applying for the California College
Promise Grant, which waives the cost of enrollment fees in his community college.
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 82
I remember I met a counselor that then introduced me to EOPS. At our school EOPS
provides grants to help pay for books, which helped payed for mine. They also supplied
me with other resources during my time there. I never applied to scholarships when I was
in community college, but the good thing about coming out with my story to a few people
I was able to be recommended for scholarships. Deans and other administrators would
invite me to attend a special dinner or event and I would randomly be awarded a
scholarship that went towards paying for my academics.
Alvin felt comfortable in his new setting, which prompted him to share his story with other
members of the college. Eventually, he established new relationships and trust with faculty and
staff members. Alvin was being mentored and guided by multiple institutional agents during his
time in community college, when many resources were being offered and at the same time some
were being stripped away by the federal government.
Looking out for undocumented students’ best interests benefits their academic success.
According to study participants, a different way to build trust and relationships with them is by
using one’s voice to advocate for them locally or nationally or simply being an ally to their
cause. While Carina attended community college, she expressed the need for advocacy from the
institution and self-advocacy from students themselves:
In college we constantly kept advocating for the Federal DREAM Act or Comprehensive
Immigration Reform. I remember in 2009 we had no DACA or California DREAM Act
but due to the advocacy work undocumented students and allies pushed for helped
motivate state and federal policymakers to support our cause and do something about it.
That’s when we got DACA and other resources.
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 83
Carina built relationships and trust with people that were willing to advocate for her and the
needs of other undocumented students. Not only is it important for intuitional agents to continue
advocating for these students during tough political times, but all the time to keep a consistent
supporting environment from the community college for current and future undocumented
students.
Another key point focused around emotional support and the well-being of
undocumented students in postsecondary education. Many of these students are going through
multiple transitions as they are learning more about their undocumented status and the effects it
has on their future college journey and post-graduation life. Participants shared two common
trends: the fear of deportation and college completion and constantly being ashamed of this
newfound identity. Carina, Alicia and Osvaldo shared their biggest fear was being caught by ICE
and being deported during a time when they had no protections from deportation. They also
recalled moments when students would be captured by ICE and they had to mobilize with other
student groups across the country to get legislators to help release them from these facilities. As
for Angelica, Alvin, and Juan they shared they did not fear deportation until DACA was
rescinded during the announcement the Trump Administration made in 2017 because they were
initial DACA recipients when they began community college. These students noted they relied
on emotional support from their college institutions to be assured that everything will be okay
and they will graduate.
Also, all students noted that they were initially ashamed of their status and the
perceptions by others and the media of undocumented immigrants in the United States.
In high school I was kind of ashamed to tell people I was not from this country and born
in a different country because of the stereotypes they said on TV. Then I got to the point
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where I was proud to share who I was but it was not until I got to my community college.
My community college gave me the courage to be proud and help others with the process
of AB540.
Alvin received the courage to come out of the shadows after finding a mentor/role model he
confided in. Eventually, that mentor connected him to the right people and programs where he
gained the most resources, including emotional support. This study found the older generation of
undocumented students sought support immediately upon arriving to their community colleges
or mobilized to receive it, whereas the newer generation took some time to seek emotional
support since many of them were not facing as many obstacles as previous undocumented
students were in college surrounding their undocumented identity.
Theme two: Continuing the need to educate the campus community. Undocumented
immigrants and allies educate the public about the struggles they face every day. Campuses
across the state have continued supporting this population by bringing awareness to staff, faculty,
students, and the surrounding community through training workshops, memos, curriculum. This
is crucial to these students’ academic success. The more people know, the more people can
understand their journey and support them while they are students at their community colleges.
Participants mentioned that, during their time in college, they had to educate at least two people
about undocumented students in higher education or policies which aid them through college.
Many of these individuals were faculty, staff, students, or campus visitors:
I remember speaking to a counselor during my first year in CC once the spring semester
began about scholarships. I wanted to find out more information about how to apply as an
undocumented student to help pay for my tuition. The counselor blurted out ‘I did not
know undocumented people can go to college.’ I was shocked, but she had recently came
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from a rural part in the Midwest so I had to explain to her what AB540 was and what it
did. It was the first time I met her and apparently it was the first time she heard of such
thing. I remember being nervous because you never know if they are pro-immigrant or
anti-immigrant. I remember doing that several times for other people on campus like
faculty and staff.
Many students constantly found themselves needing to educate college administrators, staff,
faculty, and students of their immigration status early on in their academic journeys as they were
seeking resources, support, or were voicing their opinions on matters relating to immigration and
education. Many expressed a variety of emotions, such as frustration, hopeless, fear, shame, or
motivation:
In high school I was kind of ashamed to tell people I was not from this country and born
in a different country because of the stereotypes. I only told one person who helped me
apply for DACA and AB540. Then I got to the point where I was proud to share who I
was but it was until I got to community college. My community college gave me the
courage to be proud and help others with the process of AB540 and DACA, especially
after Trump decided to cancel the program.
Alvin felt motivated during his second year in community college to come out of the shadows
right after the Trump Administration rescinded DACA to educate his campus community of the
importance these programs and policies for students like him. Carina shared she believes many
people, including undocumented students, have become complacent with regarding policies for
undocumented students. However, there are always new students and newly hired staff, faculty,
and administrators who are still very unaware of these policies or that this underrepresented
group of students are enrolled in their community colleges, so they need to continue educating by
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 86
sharing their stories. Legislation can change at any moment, like it has been show with the
Trump Administration, and students have expressed the need to continue advocating for
themselves and their undocumented peers. Continuing to educate others has been a common
trend in this community and the more people know of these students, the more allies can join to
support their cause.
Theme three: “Safe spaces ” matter. Safe spaces are important to the well-being of
many college students, especially for individuals coming from underrepresented backgrounds.
Since people began researching this topic, undocumented students have historically expressed
the emotion of fear and the need to feel safe on college campuses. The participants expressed the
same emotions. The early group of community college graduates: Carina, Alicia, and Osvaldo,
highlighted the importance of safe spaces on campus prior to the implementation of DACA.
Many expressed where they found a safe haven and what resources would have made them feel
safer while they were enrolled. Some of these spaces were in a professor’s office or in the office
of their student governments. They utilized these spaces to receive and give resources or to
organize and mobilize themselves and other undocumented students. Alicia expressed what was
missing during her time in community college:
I felt the college I went to had the right intentions to support me and students like me, but
I never felt like I had a safe space to go to. As an 18-year-old I knew I could be deported
any day. I just wanted to feel safe, you know? I remember always going to my Chicano
Studies professor for help because he knew how to support me and connect me to the
right people. You know being undocumented is hard telling others about your status
because you never know what they might say. I wish we had a DREAM Center like many
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college campuses have now-a-days. It was a different time then from now but I am happy
to see our community organizing actually worked.
These students expressed the need for safe spaces on campus and most agreed a DREAM
Resource Center would have been beneficial. A one-stop shop for undocumented students,
whereas without a center they had to go to various places on campus and disclose their status to
random strangers. A DREAM Resource Center can make it possible to bring on-campus and
community resources to the students. This allows undocumented students to come to their safe
space knowing the people entering their space are allies or individuals willing to support them.
The latter group of students, Juan, Alvin, and Angelica, experienced having more
established safe spaces on campus like Dream Resource Centers. These students expressed the
importance of safe spaces on campus for students who needed it; however, not many of them
utilized the spaces because they did not need them. These students felt a sense of security
knowing they had DACA and financial aid available to them. This is exactly what the earlier
generation of undocumented students advocated for to help future generations of undocumented
students feel safe and secure at their college campuses. Alvin mentioned during his interview
that students were worried when the Trump Administration rescinded DACA – “we were scared
of what was going to happen to us. They have all our information and where we live. I remember
the DREAM Center and the Chancellor’s Office sent students an email the next day trying their
best to get more information and bring lawyers on campus to help us with our situation.” Alvin
shared that many undocumented students knew where to go on campus when they needed
support. When this announcement was made many undocumented students from Alvin’s
community college went immediately to talk to the people in the DREAM Center.
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 88
Safe spaces will always be needed, regardless of whether students utilize them. The fact
that students in Alvin’s community college knew where to go for help when chaos erupted
around DACA proves the importance of these safe spaces for emergencies like these. DACA was
never a final solution, but a temporary one until a concrete immigration plan is established in the
United States government. Also, it is important to note that not all students qualify for DACA, so
on-campus safe spaces can help increase the success of these students..
Conclusion
The study focused on understanding the approaches undocumented students used to
navigate through community college and what support they received along the way from the
institution to succeed. The participants attended community college during different presidential
administrations and when different policies were enacted . The findings showcased two main
findings and six overall themes. The first finding revealed all immigration and education policies
affect the lives of undocumented students’ educational journey. The first theme showcased that
undocumented students rely on all pro-immigrant education policies to succeed in higher
education. The second theme showed the more pro-immigration and education policies that are
institutionalized in the state and federal governments, the more undocumented students tend to
“fit-in” with the campus community which allows them to sail smoother through college. The
third theme showcased that the passage of anti-immigration policies or the stripping of current
pro-immigration policies creates utter chaos and uncertainty for undocumented students, but they
still managed to prevail once they began to organize.
The second finding showed the importance of institutional support. The first theme
exposed was the role of mentors in participants’ college access. The second theme showed
higher education professionals remain uninformed on supporting undocumented students. The
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third theme showed safe spaces are important and beneficial to participants’ success. The
following chapter will discuss the implications of these findings and recommendations for both
practice and research.

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CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION, IMPLICATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
This study focused on understanding the approaches undocumented students used to
navigate through CCC and learning the types of support their institutions offered to help them
succeed. The purpose of this study was to analyze undocumented student success in CCCs, while
taking into consideration the political climate of that time. This study began with a conceptual
framework that helped guide the research while highlighting the challenging transitions
undocumented students experienced while in community college and the role institutional agents
played in the students’ quest to higher education. Schlossberg’s transition theory provided a
deeper understanding in the undocumented student experience by connecting the theory and the
stories of these participants on maneuvering their way through higher education and transferring
to a 4-year institution. Undocumented students were asked to reflect on their personal
experiences while attending community college through a series of questions. The following
research questions guided this study:
1. What approaches did undocumented students in California community colleges use to
navigate through the college systems and succeed?
a. How do current approaches differ, or are they the same, from those who graduated
from California community colleges during different time periods?
2. How are institutions of higher education creating safe campus climates that support
undocumented students and their success?
The study hosted a qualitative research methodology approach, while using convenience
sampling and snowball sampling to help recruit sufficient participants. Since it was difficult to
find undocumented students who were willing to participate, due to the current political climate,
these two techniques allowed for referrals to be made amongst members of the community. To
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 91
answer the research questions, a diverse sample of six participants were invited to interview.
There were three undocumented community college graduates without DACA status and the
other three with DACA status. Also, three were women and three were men and they were mixed
amongst those who had DACA status and those who did not while enrolled in community
college. All participants attended CCCs from the Greater Los Angeles area. Semi-structured
interviews were used to conduct one-on-one in-person or over-the-phone interviews and they
lasted between 60 minutes to one hour and 30 minutes each. Each participant was interviewed
one or two times throughout this study. The interviews were audio recorded and transcribed and
thoroughly analyzed and coded by the researcher. Two findings emerged, each with three
themes, discussed in the upcoming section.
Summary of Findings
Two main findings, each with three themes connected to them, emerged from data
analysis. The findings were uncovered from the six personal stories shared by the interview
participants.
Finding One: Impacts of Immigration and Education Policies
The first finding showed that state and federal policies have both positive and negative
direct impacts on the lives of undocumented students. The interviews revealed four statewide and
federal immigration education-related policies had an impacts on these students from summer of
2005 until Spring of 2018. The four policies were California Assembly Bill 540 (2001), 130
(2011) and 131 (2011) and the federal executive order, DACA (2011). Also numerous
legislations floating around Congress and state governments, similar to California’s Proposition
187, like U.S. HR 4437 and Arizona’s SB1070, which ultimately brought fear to undocumented
students across the nation. The Federal DREAM Act was also re-introduced and put up for a vote
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 92
in 2009, which would have provided a pathway to United States Citizenship for undocumented
students who met its requirements. The first finding showcased came about from three themes.
Theme one: All Pro-immigration and education policies matter to the continual
success of undocumented students. Depending on when the study participants were enrolled in
community college, at least one or all policies made a difference in their lives due to the benefits
provided. Three of the six participants were only eligible for AB540 when they started
community college, while the other three participants benefited also from AB 130, AB 131, and
DACA. Policy matters and these students were more optimistic of their futures when finding out
they were eligible to pay in-state tuition with AB540, apply for California state financial aid and
grants with AB 130 and 131, or apply for a social security number, work permit, and protection
from deportation with DACA. All policies play a high significance role to the success of these
students’ educational trajectory, not just one policy over the other.
Theme two: Benefits of post-institutionalized policy changes. The second theme
showed two different student experiences – undocumented students who benefited from only one
institutionalized policy and those who benefited from a series of institutionalized policies. The
group of students who benefited from AB540 expressed their happiness to be eligible to even
pay in-state tuition when they were enrolled in community college, but they noted many limited
resource like applying to certain scholarships or any financial aid, access to employment and
internship opportunities, and being in constant fear that they can be deported any day if they
were caught by ICE. Also, they expressed that many higher education professionals were
unknowledgeable about undocumented students. These students began a movement to change
things in higher education and the political agenda for future generation of undocumented
students. This motivated them to continue pushing forward. Eventually, the road was paved for
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 93
the newer generation of undocumented students, as the older generation sought to normalize their
experience and provide more resources for them. Since institutional and government-related
policies were enacted, the newer generation of undocumented students enter college with fewer
worries about their immigration status.
Theme three: Effects of new presidential administrations. New presidential
administrations change every four to eight years when new presidents are elected and so can
policy. The study participants were all enrolled in community college during three different
presidential administrations and each administration has made changes to laws pertaining to
immigration and education. Those changes have brought happiness, confusion, and chaos
amongst the immigrant community and its allies. An example used was when the Trump
Administration rescinded DACA. The older generation of undocumented students had prior
experience of not having DACA, so they were ready to maneuver their way through the unjust
system to make things for them; whereas, the newer generation of undocumented students
erupted in chaos since they had been fortunate to have had DACA since the beginning of college.
But these students knew of resources available to them like the DREAM Center, so they sought
for support from allies, mentors, and DREAM Centers, to help guide them on their path to
completing their coursework and transferring to a 4-year institution.
Finding Two: Institutional Support is Central to Undocumented Students ’ Success
The second finding showed that institutional support continues to be important to the
academic success of undocumented students in postsecondary education. Creating a welcoming
and safe campus climate for all is usually a top priority for institutions of higher education. Three
major themes emerged from the interviews, focusing on role models, educating others on this
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 94
topic, and the importance of safe spaces on campus. These were consistent issues noted in all six
interviews throughout the six community colleges in the Greater Los Angeles area.
Theme one: Establishing relationships and trust amongst staff, faculty, and
students. All six interview participants expressed the importance of role models, advocacy
work, and emotional support. The study participants shared during their interviews that they
would only disclose their status to staff, faculty, and/or students who seemed open-minded and
approachable around sensitive issues like immigration. They also shared that simply being
available to talk to them before or after class or when they showed up to their offices
unexpectedly and were willing to listen to them certainly helped establish that relationship and
trust with these students. Looking out for undocumented students’ best interests will continue to
be beneficial to their academic success. According to the study participants, a different way to
build trust and relationships with them is by using one’s voice to advocate for them locally or
nationally or simply being an ally to their cause. Finally, the older generation of undocumented
students expressed that they sought support immediately upon arriving to their community
colleges or mobilized to receive it, whereas the newer generation took some time to seek support.
The new generation of undocumented students were not facing as many obstacles due to the
changes in support of students like them though policy work.
Theme two: Continuing the need to educate the campus community. The
participants mentioned during their interviews that during their time in college they had to
educate faculty, staff, students, or campus visitors about undocumented students in higher
education or policies to aid them. College campuses from across the state continue supporting
these students by making sure all are aware of this population. They bring awareness to staff,
faculty, students, and the surrounding community through training workshops, memos, and
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 95
curriculum. The more people know, the more people can understand their journey and support
them. As the Trump Administration demonstrated, changes can occur at any time, and
undocumented students need to continue educating themselves, the campus community, and the
rest of the nation.
Theme three: Safe spaces matter. Safe spaces are important to the well-being of many
college students, especially for individuals coming from underrepresented backgrounds. Since
people began researching this topic, undocumented students have historically expressed the
emotion of fear and the need to feel safe on college campuses. The participants expressed the
same emotions. Many expressed where they found a safe haven and what resources would have
made them feel safer. They expressed the need for a one-stop shop for undocumented students, a
DREAM Resource Center, to bring on-campus and community resources to students. This allows
undocumented students to come to their safe space knowing the people entering their space are
allies or individuals willing to support them.
Implications and Recommendations for Practice, Policy, and Research
The findings and themes that came about from this study suggest the following
implications and recommendations for future practice, policy, and research. The implications
were examined by looking at what was being offered to undocumented students to navigate
through the CCC system and whether their community college created a safe campus climate for
them to ensure they succeeded and transferred to a 4-year institution. Since the Trump
Administration is focused on changing immigration in the United States, continuing to examine
the undocumented student population is important. The DHS (2018) reported in January of 2015
that 12 million unauthorized immigrants were residing in the United States and 25% of those
individuals were in California (Baker & Rytina, 2013; Flores, 2009). Of those individuals,
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approximately 45% were under the age of 34 and 48% classified as female, whereas 52% were
male (MPI, 2014). California has the highest number of undocumented students and it is
important that these students are being provided the resources and guidance they need to help
them succeed in community college and eventually transfer to a 4-year institution (Baker &
Rytina, 2013; Flores, 2009). Although this study focused on the undocumented CCC students
and the approaches they took to navigate college, there are millions of undocumented immigrants
in other parts of the country, and not all states offer the same resources to their undocumented
student populations, including states with a high number of undocumented immigrants.
In 2015, California was home to 10.7 million foreign-born immigrants, who comprised
about 27.3% of the overall population (AIC, 2015). Also, it was estimated that the annual
revenue generated by these individuals in state and local taxes was approximately $2.6 billion
(AIC, 2015). According to the U.S. Department of Commerce (2018), California contributed the
most, approximately $2.9 trillion, to the U.S. economy. California has been and continues to be
very supportive of immigrants, which has put the state ahead. Arizona, Georgia, and Indiana
have passed legislation prohibiting state public colleges and universities from offering in-state
tuition to undocumented students (Perez, 2014). Also, the State of Alabama and South Carolina
prohibited undocumented students from registering at any public college or university (Núñez &
Holthaus, 2017).
There are still 25 states which have not decided whether to allow or prohibit
undocumented students from enrolling and paying in-state tuition at their public state colleges
(NCSL, 2019). According to the Pew Research Center (2016), Georgia, North Carolina, and
Arizona made the top 10 list of where the most unauthorized immigrants reside and these states
either passed laws prohibiting undocumented students from enrolling in their state public
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colleges or have not passed any form of legislation. Since undocumented students are already
living in this country, they are most likely going to remain here. By providing them the resources
and opportunities to pursue a post-secondary education, it is in the best interest of the state to
allow them the integrate into society because of the long-term effects that come with attaining a
college degree. Research has shown that a college degree often leads to better employment
opportunities and economic mobility, plus most jobs now-a-days require some form of
postsecondary education to be eligible to even apply (Núñez & Holthaus, 2017). The states
mentioned above deny undocumented students access to a postsecondary education. These states
will benefit even more from all of their constituents if opportunities were being provided equally
to all residents, not just an exclusive group of individuals.
Overall, undocumented students in the United States are being provided a free K-12
education. Why stop there? Schools are continuously telling and preparing their students to apply
and enroll for college upon graduating from high school; however, some of these students
discover during their senior year they are no longer eligible to pursue their postsecondary
education due to their citizenship status. The fact that state governments have the ultimate say in
whether undocumented immigrants can attend their public colleges needs to be changed to allow
these students to continue pursuing their education aspirations. Immigration is a federal issue and
since the federal government requires children to receive a K-12 education, why not expand the
law to allow anyone who can prove they are living in this country to pursue a college education,
regardless of their citizenship status. This goes for other state and federal policies as well. There
are state and federal legislations that have strict requirements for undocumented students and not
all will qualify. This creates a burden for these students when people and establishments believe
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 98
they are good to go, but in reality they are not because they cannot qualify for programs like
DACA, AB540, or AB130/131.
Al though half the states do not have policies for undocumented students looking to
pursue a postsecondary education, the implications do not mean institutions of higher education
should refrain from doing anything about this matter. In Alabama, institutions made DACA
recipients eligible to attend certain institutions because they technically have legal status. Private
universities have long been seen as leaders for offering undocumented students equitable
resources like same tuition rates, scholarships opportunities, and financial aid. The early
generation of undocumented students was encouraged to apply to private schools because of the
possibility of receiving full scholarships if offered admission. In the Ultimate Guide for College-
Bound Undocumented Georgia Students (2011) students are encouraged to apply to private
schools in Georgia since they offer more resources and can help offset the cost of their
education, as the state banned them from enrolling in public institutions. Emory University is a
top leading private institution in the State of Georgia that welcomes undocumented student
applications and offer financial aid to all students, regardless of status. Emory provides an
alternative funding option for undocumented students without DACA status to pay for school by
offering them an institutional loan in place of work study, since they would be ineligible to be
employed by the institution (Emory University, 2019).
Undocumented students’ success in society benefits the country. California is the leading
example of providing undocumented students and all immigrants access to multiple resources to
thrive, which have proven to bring the state even further success since a quarter of the population
are immigrants. Institutions of higher education can also support future generations of
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 99
undocumented students., with or without DACA because not everyone qualifies for federal and
state policies.
The upcoming section will present recommendations for future policymakers to consider
when dealing with immigration and education related matters as well as recommendations on
how institutions of higher education continue supporting undocumented students. The chapter
will then suggest ideas for future research.
Undocumented Student Resource Center: A One-Stop Shop for All
Institutions of higher education can continue contributing to the academic success of
undocumented community college students in California by securing institutional funding to
make permanent or establish new Undocumented Student Resource Centers throughout the f
CCCs, the CSU, and the UC. In the UC system, President Janet Napolitano announced a three-
year commitment to support university’s efforts for undocumented students by providing $8.4
million across all 10 campuses (Regents of the University of California, 2016). Also, the
California Campus Catalyst Fund provided grants to 32 colleges and universities to expand
support services to undocumented students, many of whom were using the funds to establish
Dream Resource Centers (California Campus Catalyst Fund, 2018). In this study, undocumented
students expressed the need for safe spaces on campus where they can meet for further support or
where they establish mentoring relationships. An undocumented student resource center can be
beneficial for the entire college community. The center can act as the focal point for all resources
on campus to come into one place for students, staff, administrators, faculty, and community
members. The center can lessen stress and fear from students’ lives by establishing the bridges to
help them succeed in higher education. The center can bring awareness to the campus
community by providing training and further knowledge of the topic of immigration and
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 100
education. Students can utilize this space to focusing on helping other undocumented students or
the center in ways to further support these students, such as hosting fundraisers, contacting
alumni for donations, and much more). A Dream Resource Center or a space dedicated to
supporting undocumented students will always be needed on college campuses since
undocumented immigrants will forever be attending colleges and universities in the United
States.
The Federal Act to a Public Education & The Federal DREAM Act
United States presidential administrations can change every four to eight years,
depending if a president is reelected. The lives of undocumented students are always at stake and
are continuously juggled around, especially in the hands of policymakers. Many use the topic of
immigration and education as a bargaining chip to secure votes or to sway voters to think one
way on specific topics. The United States needs concrete legislations to be upheld in the federal
government, so it will not be continuously challenged during every new presidential
administration. The most recent policy, which is only a temporary solution, that has given some
legality to undocumented students is DACA. As many have seen these past two years, DACA
has been challenged multiple times by the current Trump Administration.
Federal law is needed to guarantee undocumented students can pursue a public education
in any state. Because of the U.S. Supreme Court case Plyler v. Doe, undocumented students can
receive free access to public K-12 education, but many face multiple obstacles trying to access a
post-secondary education (Perez, Cortes, Ramos, & Coronado, 2010). As previously mentioned,
for a community to prosper, it must take care of its people. Many undocumented immigrants are
here to stay, so why not assimilate them and help them incorporate to the U.S. and state
economies? With opportunity to pursue a postsecondary education, these students will bring
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 101
more money into these schools and more members of society will be educated. As previously
mentioned, a college degree often leads to better employment and economic mobility, which can
make the state and federal economies stronger (Núñez & Holthaus, 2017).
Also, legalizing these individuals even further is needed to secure they will remain in this
country as law-abiding citizens. Those currently with DACA status and those without it should
be able to extend their status. The American Dream and Promise Act, if passed, will do that and
allow them to become United States Legal Permanent Residents and eventually U.S. citizens if
they meet the requirements. The multiple formats of the Federal DREAM Act, currently the
American Dream and Promise Act of 2019, state that, to qualify, undocumented youth must have
completed at least two years of higher education or military service, demonstrated employment
over three years, and be identified as a good standing citizen (American Immigration Council,
2017). The American Dream and Promise Act of 2019, which passed in the U.S. House of
Representatives, will extend the opportunity to both DACA recipients and those in Temporary
Protected Status and Deferred Enforced Departure. Those who benefit can become motivated to
stay in good standing, graduate from high school, enroll in college or join the military, and
eventually become contributing members of society, which can have advantages for the nation.
Policy is important and for policy to move forward or even be considered, allies need to
do their due diligence work and vote, encourage others to vote, pressure policymakers to support
acts and bills like these, and they need to continuously educate their circle of friends, coworkers,
and family members about this community. Allies need to be hand-in-hand with the
undocumented immigrant community advocating for them and making their voice heard for
others to help make more people care about the issues so eventually change can be made.

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Future Research
The data collected for this study came from six undocumented students who attended
CCCs in the Greater Los Angeles area. Students were interviewed multiple times to gather
enough rich data to showcase in this study. Students were selected purposefully to compare data
evenly between male and female participants’ experiences and to understand the experience of
an older generation of undocumented students who were limited in resources and the newer
generation of undocumented students who benefitted from multiple resources. I recommend
future research be conducted between states which have no policies to support undocumented
students in higher education. Starting off with pre-college research might be the best way to
understand the pre-college experience from the point of view of undocumented high school
students and how the leaders of those schools are supporting these students to succeed. Also, it
would be interesting to learn more about what these public institutions from other states are
doing to challenge their state governments and what other resources they are utilizing to support
students who decide to pursue a postsecondary education in their public colleges. Furthermore, I
recommend future qualitative research be examined in California’s public 4-year universities
once undocumented community college transfer students enroll and attend their institutions. This
research can follow them through their journey to better understand how prepared or equipped
they were to continue their higher education as they transitioned into this new setting. In the
future, I recommend also providing a voice that includes older generation of undocumented
students serving as mentors to the newer generation of undocumented students.
Conclusion
This study focused on understanding the approaches six undocumented students used to
navigate through CCCs from the Greater Los Angeles area. Additionally, the study sought to
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 103
better understand the types of support their institutions offered to help them advance and transfer
to a 4-year institution. The findings were that state and federal policies have direct impacts on
the lives of undocumented students, and institutional support is central to undocumented
students’ success. Implications and recommendations for practice, policy, and research were
highlighted after reviewing the data analysis and findings. First, California is seen as the model
state for supporting undocumented students in postsecondary education, but many states are not
at this level, and there are millions of undocumented immigrants residing in other parts of the
country who have a very different experience in college based on their state policies. Second,
since undocumented students are already living in this country, they are most likely going to
remain here. States with undocumented students will benefit even more if opportunities were
being provided equally to all residents, not just an exclusive group of individuals. Finally,
undocumented students in the United States are being provided a free K-12 education so why
stop there? Even though states generate their own policies for their public institutions, these
institutions need to be thinking outside the box on ways they can support undocumented students
and the future generations. Further research needs to be done in states without policies for
undocumented higher education students or which prohibit them from receiving an education at
public colleges and universities. Also, following undocumented community college transfer
students into the 4-year sector can showcase a different experience for these individuals.
Furthering this research is important in understanding hoe to continue supporting this population.
In the end, the findings, implications, and recommendations expressed in this study aim
to improve understanding of undocumented students’ success in CCCs during political times of
uncertainty. They dream of a day where there is no temporary solution or uncertainty in their
lives. I know I did.
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 104
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UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 111
APPENDIX A: INFORMED CONSENT
IRB Template Version: 8-1-2018
Last edits made on: February 5, 2019 – General ICF No fMRI
USC IRB #: UP-19-00090

University of Southern California
(USC Rossier School of Education - 3470 Trousdale Parkway, Los Angeles, CA 90089)

INFORMATION SHEET FOR NON-MEDICAL RESEARCH

STUDY: Finding Academic Success during Political Times of Uncertainty for
Undocumented Students in California State Community Colleges

You are invited to participate in a research study conducted by Omar Villa, Principal Investigator,
and Dr. Patricia Tobey, Faculty Advisor, at the University of Southern California, because you
identified as an undocumented immigrant that graduated from a California Community College
with or without Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status. Your participation is
voluntary. You should read the information below, and ask questions about anything you do not
understand, before deciding whether to participate. Please take as much time as you need to read
the consent form. You may also decide to discuss participation with your family or friends. You
can keep this form for your records.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
This research study focuses primarily on the undocumented student college experience. Going
deeper in the conversation, the study will try to understand what colleges and institutions are doing
to support these students during times of uncertainty.

STUDY PROCEDURES
If you volunteer to participate in this study, you will be asked to answer a series questions, with
potential follow-up questions based on your initial responses, about your time enrolled in the
California Community College system. The interview will last approximately sixty to ninety
minutes. If time begins to run short, it may be necessary to interrupt you to push ahead and
complete this line of questioning if you are limited in time. The interview can be extended if you
are available to speak on this topic past the sixty to ninety minute mark. To facilitate my note-
taking process, I will have an audio recording device present for our conversations today. For
your information, only the principal investigator on this study will know about these recordings
and they will be eventually destroyed after they are transcribed. No copies will be made
whatsoever and no linkage between you and this audio device will be connected. If you request
for this interview to not be audio recorded, please do so before proceeding with the interview.

POTENTIAL RISKS AND DISCOMFORTS
All interviews will be anonymous and confidential and there will be no linkage between you and
this interview. Your participation is voluntary, and you may request to stop with the interview at
any time if you feel uncomfortable.
UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE 112

POTENTIAL BENEFITS TO PARTICIPANTS AND/OR TO SOCIETY
Learning about your personal experience through these interviews is crucial to the world of
academic in order to provide future recommendations to policy makers, institutional agents, and
the rest of the United States about your experience in the community college sector as an
undocumented student pursuing.

CONFIDENTIALITY
We will keep your records for this study confidential as far as permitted by law. However, if we
are required to do so by law, we will disclose confidential information about you. The members
of the research team, the funding agency and the University of Southern California’s Human
Subjects Protection Program (HSPP) may access the data. The HSPP reviews and monitors
research studies to protect the rights and welfare of research subjects.
The data will be stored in my personal password protected external thumb drive, where it will be
kept for a minimum of three years after the completion of the study. Each recording will be given
a nickname with the date of when the interview took place. At any point you are more than
welcome to edit/remove the audio recording or transcription from this study.

PARTICIPATION AND WITHDRAWAL
Your participation is voluntary. Your refusal to participate will involve no penalty or loss of
benefits to which you are otherwise entitled. You may withdraw your consent at any time and
discontinue participation without penalty. You are not waiving any legal claims, rights or remedies
because of your participation in this research study.

INVESTIGATOR ’S CONTACT INFORMATION
If you have any questions or concerns about the research, please feel free to contact Omar Villa,
Principal Investigator, at (714) 561-8292, ovilla@usc.edu, 3551 Trousdale Parkway, ADM 204,
Los Angeles, CA 90016.

RIGHTS OF RESEARCH PARTICIPANT – IRB CONTACT INFORMATION
If you have questions, concerns, or complaints about your rights as a research participant or the
research in general and are unable to contact the research team, or if you want to talk to someone
independent of the research team, please contact the University of Southern California
Institutional Review Board, 1640 Marengo Street, Suite 700, Los Angeles, CA 90033-9269.
Phone (323) 442-0114 or email irb@usc.edu.

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Asset Metadata

Creator Villa, Omar (author)

Core Title Finding academic success during political times of uncertainty for undocumented students in California state community colleges

School Rossier School of Education

Degree Doctor of Education

Degree Program Education (Leadership)

Publication Date 02/05/2020

Defense Date 07/31/2019

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag academic success,California Community Colleges,community college,DACA,Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals,Dreamers,Higher education,immigration,OAI-PMH Harvest,postsecondary education,undocumented dreamers,undocumented immigrants,undocumented students

Language English

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

Advisor Tobey, Patrcia Elaine (committee chair), Baca, Reynaldo (committee member), Combs, Wayne (committee member)

Creator Email o.villasantana@gmail.com,ovilla@usc.edu

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-c89-265781

Unique identifier UC11675103

Identifier etd-VillaOmar-8148.pdf (filename),usctheses-c89-265781 (legacy record id)

Legacy Identifier etd-VillaOmar-8148.pdf

Dmrecord 265781

Document Type Dissertation

Rights Villa, Omar

Type texts

Source University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Access Conditions The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the a...

Repository Name University of Southern California Digital Library

Repository Location USC Digital Library, University of Southern California, University Park Campus MC 2810, 3434 South Grand Avenue, 2nd Floor, Los Angeles, California 90089-2810, USA