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Big dreams: a multi-case examination of institutional support for DACA students in California community colleges
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Big dreams: a multi-case examination of institutional support for DACA students in California community colleges
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Running Head: DACA STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES 1
Big Dreams: A Multi-Case Examination of Institutional Support for DACA Students in
California Community Colleges
Gregory Ferrer
Dissertation Committee:
Dr. Ainsley Carry, Dr. Darnell Cole, Dr. Briana Hinga
In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the
Doctor of Education
University of Southern California
Rossier School of Education
August 2019
Running Head: DACA STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES 2
Dedication
This dissertation is dedicated to my amazing kids, Ben, Mateo and Mila. You have brought
indescribable joy into our lives and I can’t believe how lucky I am to be your dad. To my sweet
boy, Mateo. You were such a blessing and light in our lives. I hope you know that every day you
are loved and missed beyond words.
Running Head: DACA STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES 3
Acknowledgments
Completing my doctoral studies in educational leadership at USC has been an incredible
journey and a rewarding experience. It would not have been possible without the love and
support of so many individuals.
I first want to thank my parents, who throughout my life instilled in me the value of
education and the responsibility to serve others. Your love and support made this possible. You
worked your whole lives to provide me and my brothers with opportunities you did not have. My
gratitude for your sacrifices could never be expressed but I will work to make you proud in
everything I do.
I want to thank my educational and professional mentors throughout the years. I want to
thank Dr. Jan Serrantino and Dr. Rameen Talesh, alumni of USC who first suggested that I
pursue my doctoral studies. I am especially grateful to Dr. Edward Bush, Cecilia Alvarado, and
Dr. Tenisha James. These mentors and colleagues pushed me to pursue my doctorate and
afforded me the flexibility to do so while managing a full-time administrative position.
The long evenings and weekly classes of this program were made easier by colleagues
who became friends. The list of lifelong friends I have made through this program is too long to
list but I wanted to highlight some special individuals. To my dissertation cohort, Richard, Erica,
Jameil and Marquita, thank you for your support and friendship as we navigated this process
together. Dr. John Kwon and Dr. Bhavini Bhakta, your friendship during this process enriched
my experience and helped me keep my sanity. I look forward to what lies ahead for each of us
and I’m appreciative that we were able to share this journey together.
I want to thank my committee, Dr.’s Darnell Cole, Briana Hinga, and Ainsley Carry. You
all helped me shape an idea into what eventually became my dissertation topic. You encouraged
Running Head: DACA STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES 4
me, provided feedback, and supported my educational pursuits. I feel fortunate to have had your
guidance during this process and I feel privileged to have benefited from your experience and
support.
Finally, there would never be enough words, or enough time, to express my love and
gratitude for my wife, Marissa, who walked every step of this journey with me. We welcomed
two wonderful boys just three months before I started this program. And we welcomed a
beautiful baby girl about six months before my commencement date. In between, we suffered the
loss of our sweet boy, Mateo. Your strength as a mom, wife, and partner these past three years
are the main reason I was able to finish this journey. I hope you know that my love for you, Ben,
Mateo and our little Mila pushed me through this program. If it was possible, I’d walk across that
stage with you by my side.
To my sweet boy, Mateo. I love and miss you every day. Every. Day.
Running Head: DACA STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES 5
Table of Contents
Cover Page 1
Dedication 2
Acknowledgments 3
Table of Contents 5
Abstract 7
Chapter One: Overview of the Study 8
Introduction and Overview 8
DACA Students in Higher Education 10
Institutional Support Structures and Policies 11
Statement of the Problem 12
Study Purpose 13
Conceptual Framework 14
Importance of the Study 15
Chapter Two: Literature Review 17
Overview of Immigration Reform in United States since 2000 17
Implementation of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals 19
National and State Perspectives 22
DACA as Social Justice 25
Statistics and Demographics 26
Impact of DACA Policy on Colleges and Universities 27
California Community Colleges 31
Chapter Three: Methods 34
Introduction 34
Methodology and Data Collection 34
Sample 36
Analysis 38
Validity and Reliability 39
Researcher Bias and Positionality 39
Methodological Limitations 41
Chapter Four: Analysis 43
Figure 3: Response Rate 43
Figure 4: Themes and Subthemes 47
Theme 1: Institutional Awareness 47
Subtheme: Lack of Assessment Measures 51
Theme 2: Impact of Trump Administration on College’s Approaches 53
Subtheme: DACA Support as a Social Justice Issue 57
Theme 3: Funding and Tangible Supports 59
Subtheme: Need for Increased K-12 and Postsecondary Collaboration 63
Theme 4: Board of Trustees Participation 65
Theme 5: DACA and Dreamers College “Champion” 68
Document Analysis 71
Figure 5: Institutional Support 71
Figure 6: Common Forms of Support for DACA Students and Dreamers 72
Member Checking 72
Chapter Five: Summary, Implications, Limitations, and Conclusion 73
Running Head: DACA STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES 6
Summary 73
Implications for Practice 74
Limitations 78
Conclusions 80
References 83
Appendices 91
Appendix A: Interview Solicitation Email 91
Appendix B: Research Interview Protocol 1 92
Appendix C: Research Interview Protocol 2 94
Appendix D: Research Interview Protocol 3 96
Appendix E: Member Checking Follow-Up Email 98
Appendix F: California Community College Chancellor’s Office Statement 99
Running Head: DACA STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES 7
Abstract
The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) executive order signed by
President Barack Obama in 2012 sought to address gaps in American immigration policy that
impacted undocumented minors. However, court cases challenging this order and the absence of
comprehensive immigration reform have left DACA-eligible recipients in limbo.
As a result of these rapidly changing immigration policies, and a recognition that many
DACA-eligible recipients are enrolled in postsecondary institutions, many colleges and
universities have sought to provide support for this population. However, they have struggled to
determine how best to support these students given limited resources and competing priorities.
This multi-case qualitative study sought to understand how California community
colleges have responded to the needs of these impacted students on their campuses. Through a
review of available literature on the subject, interviews with college administrators, and an
examination of available documents and reports, themes emerged that helped illustrate how
research participants have interpreted their institutional responsibility as it relates to supporting
DACA students and Dreamers. Bolman and Deal’s Organizational Frames was used as a
framework for this study.
Running Head: DACA STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES 8
Institutional Support Structures for DACA Students in California Community Colleges
Chapter One: Overview of the Study
Introduction and Overview
The enactment of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy by the
Obama administration as an executive order in 2012 has had a dramatic impact on DACA
eligible youths who are commonly referred to as Dreamers in reference to the many failed
attempts at passing the Dream Act. It has influenced wider discussion on the role of colleges and
universities in supporting students eligible for protections under this policy. While the aim of the
executive order was to provide clarity on the immigration status of program-eligible youths, it
also forced postsecondary institutions to evaluate their role, if any, in creating institutional
support structures for students who are eligible for DACA protections. These discussions have
centered on examining the overall mission of postsecondary institutions, recognizing the
limitations within that mission when compared to obligations to uphold federal laws and policies,
and understanding that with or without formal postsecondary supports, DACA eligible students
will be attending colleges and universities and bringing with them unique needs and concerns
that need to be addressed (Nienhusser, 2014).
Though the policy has provided temporary relief for many youths, DACA was enacted as
an executive order and is subject to expiration pending a court decision, or a shift in
administration policies (Preston & Cushman, 2012). The policy has already been subject to
multiple federal court challenges and its strength and longevity are tenuous. In 2014, attempts to
expand the number of those eligible for protection under the policy did not proceed due to
lawsuits from twenty-five states, a federal ruling providing an injunction against expansion of the
program, and a divided Supreme Court which upheld this injunction (Nguyen & Kebede, 2017).
Running Head: DACA STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES 9
Attempts to rescind the program and its support for undocumented youths were bolstered with
the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States. Throughout his campaign,
Donald Trump assailed the program as executive overreach and insulted immigrant communities
it was intended to support.
We will immediately terminate President Obama’s two illegal executive amnesties, in
which he defied federal law and the constitution to give amnesty to approximately 5
million illegal immigrants.
-Donald Trump, August 31, 2016
The Trump administration has indicated that rescinding the program in its current format
is a policy priority. However, efforts to do so have been stymied by federal court rulings
(Nguyen & Kebede, 2017). This constant cycle of uncertainty about their immigration status and
the long-term viability of DACA has led to an increase in mental health issues for DACA
eligible youths (Zaidi & Kuczewski, 2017).
One of the requirements for eligibility under DACA is that undocumented youths are
either currently serving in the armed forces, been honorably discharged, are enrolled in some
form of school, or have already completed high school, a General Education Degree (GED) or a
certificate (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, 2018). This final educational
requirement, along with the clear age guidelines governing the policy, has placed postsecondary
institutions in the role of welcoming these students. The adoption of DACA has demonstrated
that colleges and universities were ill-prepared to offer meaningful support to these students.
Many postsecondary institutions had not evaluated their internal policies and determined if
current practices offer the appropriate level of support for this student group. Even with a policy
under constant attack from the presidential administration it is essential that colleges and
Running Head: DACA STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES 10
universities develop appropriate structures to provide support for Dreamers as long as the
program is active and as long as their efforts can assist the individuals it was intended to support.
DACA Students in Higher Education
The Migration Policy Institute released data on the number of DACA-eligible youths
enrolled in postsecondary institutions. Of the approximately 689,800 current DACA recipients
(as of November 2017), 18% were enrolled in some for of postsecondary setting. This equates to
approximately 124,000 students (Capps, Fix, & Zong, 2017).
California has the highest number of DACA-eligible youths with approximately 197,900,
with over 39,000 enrolled in a postsecondary setting (Capps, Fix, & Zong, 2017). Estimates
place the number of undocumented college-age students in California postsecondary settings at
72,300. However, not all students applied for or receive DACA status. Of these 72,300 students,
it is estimated that 60,000 are in the community college system, 8,300 are in the California State
University system, and 4,000 are enrolled in the University of California system (Capps, Fix &
Zong, 2017).
There is a substantial gap in the ability of colleges and universities to address the needs of
these students. Institutional practices and federal privacy laws, as well as the desire of many
DACA status students to remain anonymous, make the development and implementation of
targeted interventions difficult (Nienhusser, et al., 2016). Requesting that undocumented students
self-identify and disclose their immigration status has always been a difficult task because of the
inherent fear that accompanies such a disclosure. However, the Trump administration’s rhetoric
and stated goals of deporting undocumented individuals under the guise of public safety have
only served to heighten this anxiety which has made it more difficult for Dreamers to self-
Running Head: DACA STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES 11
identify (Munoz, 2016). This has made the task of supporting these students more difficult for
colleges and universities.
Institutional Support Structures and Policies
Existing policies and support structures aimed at addressing the needs of Dreamers have
been primarily focused on financial aid implications of the policy, admissions and records
policies addressing student immigration status, and student employment policies which navigate
the guidelines around temporary work permits (Nienhusser, 2014). These areas are targeted at
specific interventions that align with the provisions of the DACA policy.
However, broader questions about other types of support have led to colleges providing
additional support for Dreamers. These additional support services include additional mental
health counseling, which is essential because studies indicate that DACA students are more
likely to have anxiety, depression and other mental health impairments that are exacerbated by
their tenuous immigration status (Ellis & Chen, 2013). Many colleges have worked to refine their
documentation processes in order to avoid disclosing sensitive immigration status information
(Clukey, 2017). Postsecondary institutions have also provided free or minimal cost legal
consultations regarding their immigration status. These institutions, like CUNY, have provided
direct financial support in order for students to finance the DACA renewal paperwork (Clukey,
2017). This is critical because the cost of renewal can be prohibitive for many students
(Kantamneni et al., 2016). In California, DACA students may be eligible for Cal Grants, which
were developed in response to restrictions on Federal Pell Grants for undocumented students
(California Community College Chancellor’s Office, 2018). Even with the availability of these
Cal Grants, it is estimated that approximately 55% of DACA status college students in California
are employed while attending college due to financial need (Capps, Fix & Zong, 2017).
Running Head: DACA STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES 12
Another issue for postsecondary settings to consider is balancing their roles as
educational institutions and adherence to existing federal immigration laws, some of which could
place some of their DACA students at risk. Colleges must determine if existing policies are clear
to all stakeholders at the institution and comply with federal immigration laws. They must also
determine if these policies are in line with the mission and values of the institution. These
decisions are made with the awareness that federal funding the college receives could be stripped
if the institution is found to be in violation of federal laws.
This issue has been compounded by Governor Jerry Brown’s decision to name California
a sanctuary state, which is meant to express the state’s commitment to protecting undocumented
youths (Pullias Center for Higher Education, 2017). College and university leaders in the state
have indicated that while they support Governor Brown’s decision, it lacks specificity on how
colleges can support these efforts (Resmovits, 2018).
The scope and consistency of these services and approaches varies by college and the
processes by which these are determined at each institution are unclear (Venegas et al., 2017). A
significant reason for these differences is what colleges perceive their role to be in providing
support to DACA students. Colleges have been slow to react to the DACA policy when it was
implemented because of uncertainty on this myriad of issues.
Statement of the Problem
Colleges and universities serve thousands of students who are eligible for protections
under DACA guidelines. The policy outlines certain protections that DACA-eligible youths
have, including a two-year renewable deportation deferment and the ability to utilize a work
permit in order to seek employment. However, the guidelines also create challenges for these
Running Head: DACA STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES 13
youths by reiterating that they are not eligible for federal financial aid and failing to create a
long-term path to citizenship.
Due to the specific age guidelines outlined by the DACA executive order, many DACA
status individuals are enrolling or already attending postsecondary institutions. This has created a
need for these institutions to determine what, if any, formalized support or interventions they will
provide for these students. These efforts can be impeded by differences in interpretation over the
role of postsecondary settings, particularly public institutions, in developing over and above
support systems for undocumented students (Chan, 2013). These efforts are made even more
challenging because there is no clear mechanism to track DACA students in postsecondary
settings. The available data is restricted due to privacy concerns and as a result, targeted
interventions can be difficult to implement (Garcia & Tierney, 2011). Undocumented students
are also less likely to have the social capital or the comfort level to self-disclose their
immigration status for fear of negative repercussions (Jacobo & Ochoa, 2011), (Patel, 2017).
These difficulties for postsecondary settings exists at a time when the protections outlined
in the 2012 DACA executive order are under constant risk of being altered or rescinded entirely
by the Trump administration. These compounding issues highlight the need for colleges to
evaluate their role in supporting DACA students at their campuses and effectively communicate
these priorities to their student body, faculty, staff and other stakeholders.
Study Purpose
This study aims to describe the institutional policies that a number of California
community colleges have developed or are in the process of developing in order to support
DACA-eligible students at their institutions. It seeks to identify the services, if any, that were
created in response to the enacted DACA policy and the rationale behind those interventions.
Running Head: DACA STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES 14
The study also aims to understand how these colleges understand their role in supporting
DACA-eligible students and determine if that understanding influenced the type and level of
services created for this student group.
The questions being studied are:
1. What support services were adopted or created by community colleges to address
the needs of DACA students?
2. Why were these services and policies adopted?
3. How do colleges understand their role in providing support for DACA students?
Conceptual Framework
Postsecondary organizational responses to this population differ in both approach,
underlying motivation, and overall effectiveness (Burke, 2014). The theoretical framework
informing this study is Bolman and Deal’s (2008) four-frame model of organizations, which
seeks to identify how and why organizations respond to situations.
Researchers Bolman and Deal identified four distinct organizational frames. These
include: structural, human resources, political, and symbolic. The frames act as metaphors for the
roles and approaches adopted by organizations in certain settings or when facing unique
circumstances (Bolman & Deal, 2008). In the case of college and university institutional support
structures for DACA students, Bolman and Deal’s four frames provide context to how these
organizations developed approaches to address this population. The frames adopted by the
postsecondary institutions to address this growing need also inform students and other
stakeholders of how the college perceives their role, if any, in designing structures to support
DACA students.
Running Head: DACA STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES 15
Institutions do not use a frame in isolation. Multiple frames are often utilized to address a
particular issue. However, there is often a weighted preference given to one of the frames which
has a stronger influence on the institutional approach (Bolman & Deal, 2008). This study,
through qualitative methods, seeks to identify how participating community colleges viewed
their institutional responsibility as it relates to DACA students.
Importance of the Study
With over 60,000 potential DACA eligible students enrolled in the California
Community College system, the importance of this study has the potential of impacting a large
number of individuals and institutions. Identifying how institutions view their role in supporting
DACA students and investigating the policies and structures they have established to provide
this support would offer a framework for colleges that have not yet established meaningful
intervention plans. This study also has the potential of assisting colleges with support systems
as they evaluate their existing structures to ensure they are in line with best practices for the
evolving needs of these students. In particular, this study could be beneficial for administrators
in community college settings who have been tasked with developing policies and structures to
address the unique needs of DACA students on their campuses.
Though DACA was first introduced in 2012, research on the impact of the policy on
postsecondary institutions, and community colleges in particular, is limited and there is a need
to add to that body of literature. Existing research tends to focus on students in four-year
colleges and universities. However, the data clearly demonstrates that the majority of college-
attending DACA students are enrolled in the community college system. The literature available
on DACA implementation, support systems, and outcomes related to the California Community
College system is nearly nonexistent even though more DACA-eligible college students are
Running Head: DACA STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES 16
enrolled in the system than in any other postsecondary system in the country (California
Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office, 2018). The needs of students and the support
structures at these different types of postsecondary institutions can vary widely. This study will
focus on the institutional responses of a number of California community colleges which will
provide a different lens from which to understand this issue.
Students eligible for DACA protections are attending postsecondary institutions at high
rates and it is imperative that support systems be designed to support their needs. It is also
important to examine how community colleges interpret their role in providing this support.
Suarez-Orozco et al. (2015) argue that colleges have a unique responsibility to meaningfully
engage DACA students to help them recognize available support systems. How this institutional
responsibility is framed provides significant insight into the organizational priorities adopted by
postsecondary institutions.
Running Head: DACA STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES 17
Chapter Two: Literature Review
This literature review will examine a brief history of immigration reform in the United
States and the eventual enactment of DACA as an executive order to address the needs of
undocumented youths. Further, it will highlight the statistics and demographics of eligible
DACA youths with an emphasis on those who are enrolled or will enroll in postsecondary
settings. It will examine the most pressing needs of DACA students, as identified by current
research. Finally, it will highlight the multi-layered impacts of the DACA program on
postsecondary institutions and the research examining how colleges and universities have
responded to the program through the development of support structures or institutional
approaches.
Overview of Immigration Reform in the United States since 2000
Comprehensive immigration reform in the United States has been an elusive target over
the past two decades. The search for a long-term legislative solution has not brought about a
remedy to the ongoing issue. Failure to adopt a legislative solution has compounded the issue
and led to strong debate on the purpose and extent of any future proposed legislation.
Immigration reform is an emotionally and politically charged topic and failure to adequately
address it has only heightened these emotions. Many of the proposed solutions have focused on
undocumented youths who arrived in the country via parents or family members. Efforts to
address the needs of these youths are in part motivated by belief that their legal status in the
country should not be solely determined by the actions of their family members (Dingeman-
Cerda et al., 2015). However, debate persists over how to adequately address their needs while
maintaining adherence to existing federal immigration laws (Amuedo-Dorantes & Puttitanun,
2018).
Running Head: DACA STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES 18
One of the most sweeping attempts to enact immigration reform was through the
proposed Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act. This legislation,
cosponsored by Republican Senator Orrin Hatch and Democratic Senator Dick Durbin in 2001,
sought to develop a path that would provide permanent residency to qualified undocumented
minors. The bill was met with a mixture of support from those who felt it did not provide enough
protections for these youths, and resistance from those who felt it provided amnesty and a
pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants who entered the country illegally.
Eventually, the bill did not pass the Senate and therefore was not adopted into law.
There have been a number of attempts to reignite immigration reform after the failure to
pass the initial DREAM Act. Many of these efforts used elements of the original DREAM Act’s
framework and sought to address concerns by Senators who opposed the original legislation.
These include the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006, and various iterations of the
DREAM Act in 2007, 2009, 2010, and 2011. However, despite numerous efforts to formally
pass a legislative solution that would help clarify the legal status and protections of eligible
youths, no legislation has been adopted. The inability to address a smaller subset of
undocumented individuals exacerbated an already difficult task in the development of
comprehensive immigration reform. It also invited lawmakers to advocate for non-traditional
solutions to address the needs of undocumented youths in the absence of formal legislation
(Diaz-Strong, et al. 2010). Failure to pass the DREAM Act has led to undocumented minors in
these circumstances to be dubbed “Dreamers” (Walters, 2017). The name is a reflection of the
original failed immigration legislation and also a reminder that these youths’ aspirations to better
their lives are at the mercy of a federal government which has thus far failed to address their
needs.
Running Head: DACA STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES 19
Implementation of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals
On June 15, 2012, due in large part to the ongoing failure of Congress to adopt and enact
immigration reform, then-President Barack Obama announced a new immigration policy aimed
at protecting minors who were in the country as undocumented immigrants. The policy was
enacted as an executive order rather than legislation due to the inability of Congress to adopt
legislative actions to address immigration reform. The executive order was titled Deferred
Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). Individuals who fell under the protection of the action
were, and continue to be, referred to as “Dreamers” because President Obama’s action was seen
as a response to the failure of Congress to pass the Dream Act despite multiple attempts in the
preceding two decades.
There are significant legal differences between executive orders and legislation passed by
Congress through traditional processes. An executive order is a legally binding action issued by
the President that does not go through the traditional legislative process. Executive orders are
published in the Federal Register and must be adhered to unless they are reversed by the courts
and Congress. Traditional legislation must path both houses of Congress and be signed by the
President in order to be enacted (American Immigration Council, 2015). These differences are
profound because executive orders can be rescinded by a new administration whose policy
priorities do not align with the administration which enacted the original executive order. For
DACA eligible individuals, this has created uncertainty and fear over their immigration status
and their ability to remain in the country. These uncertainties have led to higher rates of
depression and anxiety among DACA students and their families (Venkataramani & Tsai, 2017).
There are implications of enacting an executive order in lieu of a legislative action.
Though legally binding, executive orders are often perceived as ways to usurp traditional
Running Head: DACA STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES 20
legislative processes in order to provide a faster remedy to an existing issue. Critics of executive
orders often decry that the lack of a formal legislative process enhances the powers of the
President in ways that minimize the establish system of checks and balances adopted by the
government. Supporters of various executive orders have argued that they are well within the
scope of a President’s authority and often necessary actions in order to address a current
identified issue that has not been addressed through other legislative means.
Perhaps with an understanding that this executive order would garner significant debate
about its merits and intent, President Obama’s DACA program was specific in regards to the
support it afforded eligible youths. The order included restrictive program requirements, limits to
its scope, and a lack of a formal path to citizenship for eligible youths. Even with these
restrictions, the executive order has been viewed as the most consequential immigration reform
act of the past two decades (Preston & Cushman, 2012).
The policy outlined certain protections to undocumented individuals who were younger
than 31 years of age, had been in the country since at least 2007, and must have come to the
country when they were younger than 16 years. These specific requirements include: eligible
individuals must have come to the United States before the age of sixteen, must have lived
continuously in the United States since 2007, were born on or after June 16, 1981, were
physically present in the United States on June 15, 2012 and at the time of making their request,
had no lawful status as of June 15, 2012, completed high school or a general education degree
(GED), been honorably discharged from the armed forces, or are enrolled in school, and have not
been convicted of a felony or serious misdemeanors, including the accumulation of multiple non-
serious misdemeanors. As evidenced by this list, the restrictions for participation in the program
are vast and aimed at narrowing the pool of eligible recipients to those who meet the
Running Head: DACA STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES 21
aforementioned criteria. The emphasis on the age requirements and the mandate that recipients
be enrolled in school has a dramatic impact on postsecondary institutions where many of these
eligible youths enroll and attend courses.
Once eligible DACA recipients are approved for the program, they are afforded support
that seeks to provide protection given their immigration status. The DACA program allows
eligible youths to receive a renewable two-year period of deferred deportation while also
allowing for the acquisition of a temporary work permit. DACA program recipients enrolled in
colleges and universities are not eligible for any form of federal financial aid, including Pell
Grants. This restriction leads many college-doing DACA recipients to work substantially while
attending college, which leads to much longer enrollment periods until completion or graduation
(Terriquez, 2015). DACA eligible students spend more time working and less time attending
classes, on average, than their peers due to the restrictions on federal financial aid (Terriquez,
2015).
The election of Donald Trump as the 45
th
president of the United States ushered in a
major shift in the political and social climate surrounding immigration reform. His campaign
platform escalated the already sensitive tensions around the immigration debate. He regularly
denounced DACA as an overreach by the Obama administration (Reilly, 2017). Beyond that, he
insulted Mexican immigrants as “rapists” and repeated frequently that any immigrants from other
countries were “not the best” citizens of their own country and were a burden and danger to
current American citizens. This rhetoric emboldened his supporters and elicited cries of racism
from immigration reform supporters (Reilly, 2017). Then-candidate Trump ran on a promise that
one of his first actions as president would be to rescind DACA, thus removing the support to
Dreamers that this executive order afforded them.
Running Head: DACA STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES 22
Following his election, President Trump and his administration followed through on his
campaign promise and rescinded the DACA program in September, 2017. However, federal
court decisions upheld DACA and allowed the program to persist (Neuman, 2018). While these
court decisions have helped sustain the program, there is growing concern that a longer-term
solution needs to be adopted in order to meet the needs of DACA-eligible individuals. Lack of a
long-term solution puts these individuals at risk of losing protections and support provided by
DACA should a federal court or the Supreme Court rescind the program’s protections.
National and State Perspectives
There has been substantial national and state debate on the various failed immigration
reform efforts and the executive order outlined by President Obama in lieu of a formal legislative
action to address this need. Much of the discussion has centered on a few themes. These include
the debate over presidential authority to issue broad legislative actions related to immigration,
the differences in viewpoints on the concept of deservingness as it relates to undocumented
immigrants, and the desire for a long term bipartisan solution that has proven difficult to achieve
(Decker, 2017).
Given the debate over whether or not President Obama’s DACA program undermined
existing federal immigration laws, and the concern that protections afforded to individuals under
the DACA program would not prevent individual from being deported under those laws, various
cities and states sought to identify themselves as sanctuary cities. Sanctuary cities place limits on
the extent of cooperation they will provide to the federal government’s immigration
enforcement. One goal of these cities and states is to signal to undocumented individuals that
they are safe spaces in which to reside. Another goal is to allocate limited police and legal
Running Head: DACA STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES 23
resources addressing needs they view as more pressing than the deportation of community
members who have committed no crimes since first arriving in the country.
Critics of sanctuary cities and states argue that they are complicit in the illegal actions of
undocumented immigrants (Allen, 2017). Among the critics are current Attorney General Jeff
Sessions who filed a lawsuit against the state of California after its Governor, Jerry Brown,
declared California a sanctuary state. Attorney General Sessions stated:
Stop treating immigration agents differently from everybody else for the purpose of
eviscerating border and immigration laws and advancing an open borders philosophy
shared by only a few, the most radical extremists.
-Attorney General Jeff Sessions, March 7, 2018, Sacramento, California
Critics like Attorney General Sessions argue that though undocumented individuals may
have not committed any crime since arriving, their first crime of coming to the country illegally
is sufficient grounds for deportation. However, these debates are often tinged with rhetoric that
goes beyond the legality of an individual’s immigration status. A recent report found that the rate
of Latinos reporting discrimination had increased to 68%. A similar study conducted in 2003
found the reporting rate to be 30% (Almedia, 2017). This substantial increase was attributed to a
growing anti-immigrant sentiment that has been stoked by the Trump administration’s rhetoric
and policies.
However, even with growing anti-immigrant sentiments, polls consistently demonstrate
strong support for DACA among Americans across the entire political spectrum.
Running Head: DACA STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES 24
Figure 1. Support for DACA-like Measures, Ipsos Poll, 2017
These polls reflect the incremental changes to the public perceptions of undocumented
youths. For example, in 2016, the Library of Congress moved to replace the term “illegal aliens”,
which was viewed as derogatory and inflammatory, to describe undocumented immigrants (Qin,
2016). However, even with national trends reflecting higher levels of support for undocumented
youths, there continues to be concern for Dreamers. This concern has led to protests across the
country from supporters decrying its possible rescission of DACA at the hands of the Trump
administration (Siegel, 2017).
Still, it is difficult for Dreamers to ignore the constant drumbeat of anti-immigrant
sentiment emanating from the current Presidential administration’s actions. Gurrola et al. (2016)
found that as a result of this sentiment, Mexican-American youths’ perceptions of their
opportunities for positive higher education experiences in the United States has been negatively
impacted. They argue that first-generation Mexican-American adolescents are more likely to feel
ostracized as a result of the Trump administration’s actions and rhetoric. As a result they are less
likely to seek out educational opportunities if they feel that doing so will have a negative impact
on their families.
Running Head: DACA STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES 25
DACA as Social Justice
The issue of DACA and more broadly, long-awaited immigration reform, has become a
political and social lightning rod. The plight of Dreamers and the desire for a resolution that
provides them with defined, long-standing support has rallied lawmakers, educators and students
to argue that protections for undocumented students are necessary civil rights (Gonzales, 2013).
Beliefs that these Dreamers are being used as political chess pieces while their lives are in limbo
has spurred social activism among undocumented youths and citizen student allies (Enriquez,
2014).
These movements have taken the shape of marches, protests, sit-ins, and demands from
elected officials to remedy the situation by providing Dreamers with a path to citizenship. Hope
et al. (2016) found that minorities who reported experiencing higher levels of racial or ethnic
microaggressions were more likely to be involved in protests supporting DACA students. When
the Trump administration rescinded DACA, protests erupted across the country, including at the
nation’s capital. On March 5, 2018, the last day for DACA protections following its rescission,
thousands of Dreamers and supporters gathered outside the Capitol in Washington D.C. to lobby
Congress to pass legislation that would continue the program (Haslett, 2018).
Many supporters of Dreamers have argued that a nation founded by immigrants has a
moral obligation to support and lift up the next generation of individuals seeking a better life for
themselves and their families. These discussions are embedded with a concept of
“deservingness” that is applied by those who have citizenship to noncitizens (Dingeman-Cerda,
et al. 2015). Non-supporters of DACA have argued that non-citizens should not be eligible for
any governmental support until they have completed their paths to citizenship. Critics of this
perspective argue that the American immigration pathway and the eventual road to citizenship is
Running Head: DACA STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES 26
mired in administrative hurdles and is often financially unfeasible for most immigrants seeking
citizenship. Their activism in light of the DACA debate is motivated by a desire for a larger
systemic change to American immigration policy that would make short-term solutions like
DACA unnecessary (Unzueta Carrasco & Seif, 2014).
Statistics and Demographics
The Migration Policy Institute estimates that there are approximately 1,300,000
individuals eligible to meet DACA criteria. However, as of January 2018, only 682,750
individuals had completed the process to be eligible for DACA protections. In the state of
California, there are approximately 384,000 eligible DACA recipients and 196,670 individuals
who completed the registration process. Nationally, there is a 52% participation rate in the
program for eligible youths. The Brookings Institute (2018) found that 77% of DACA recipients
were originally from Mexico. Other represented populations included individuals from El
Salvador (4%), Guatemala (3%), Honduras (3%), and South Korea (1%). (Brookings Institute,
2015).
Researchers point to several reasons that only about half of eligible participants signed up
for the program. Patel (2013) argued that the long-term uncertainty over the sustainability of the
DACA program led many undocumented youths to remain in the shadows and not self-identify.
Along these lines, these is concern that while eligible DACA youths may be provided protections
once they have signed up for the program, their undocumented parents may be targeted by the
government and deported (Maria-Elena De, et al., 2018).
President Obama attempted to minimize these concerns by issuing a secondary executive
order of a “sister” program titled Deferred Action for Parents of Americans, or DAPA. The
program was intended to ease these concerns by providing protections for the parents of
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Dreamers. The hope was that these protections would keep families together and minimize the
fear of deportations that was preventing many individuals from self-identifying for DACA
protections. However, states filed lawsuits to stop the program from being implemented after
arguing that it represented governmental overreach. As of 2016, the program remains blocked
from implementation after a split decision from the Supreme Court. The Trump administration
has indicated they intend to rescind this program.
The fear created by untenable executive orders and uncertain futures has likely prevented
more Dreamers from coming forward. For example, the California Community College
Chancellor’s Office reported that applications for California Dream Act grant aid dropped
dramatically in the previous year. Legislators argued that the drop in applications was a direct
result of the Trump administration’s vicious rhetoric on immigrants and his promise to rescind
DACA (Resmovits, 2018).
Impact of DACA Policy on Colleges and Universities
Many individuals who qualify for DACA protections are college-age youths. This is a
direct result of the age limitations and education requirements outlined by the executive action
(Gonzales & Bautista-Chavez, 2014). A substantial number of Dreamers either continued
enrollment in colleges and universities, or sought enrollment in these institutions as a result of
the new DACA protections.
Running Head: DACA STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES 28
Figure 2. Educational Attainment of Current DACA Recipients, MPI Analysis data from US
Census Bureau, 2017
However, the lack of formal guidance from federal and state governments on how to best
support these Dreamers has created challenges in postsecondary settings. Impeding some of
these efforts seems to be disagreement on the ability and scope postsecondary institutions have in
supporting DACA students.
Teranishi, Suarez-Orozco, & Suarez-Orozco (2015) illustrated the difficulties many
postsecondary institutions have had in identifying their role, if any, in supporting DACA
students on their campus. In particular, they highlighted the inability of colleges to address
students’ financial needs, due to a restriction on Dreamers receiving federal financial aid. This
financial uncertainty leads many Dreamers to seek employment while enrolled in a college
setting. A recent analysis by the Migration Policy Institute indicated that nearly 90% of college-
attending DACA students were also employed (Migration Policy Institute, 2018). The same
report indicated that many of these students are primary financial providers for their families.
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These competing responsibilities of employment and college enrollment make it difficult for
Dreamers to complete their studies in a typical timeline without targeted interventions adopted
by colleges and universities (Ruth, 2017).
However, many colleges have struggled to recognize the implications of DACA on their
institutions and the students they serve. Many efforts by postsecondary institutions to reach out
to Dreamers have been lacking in specificity and substance. For example, many colleges have
elected to send out college-wide messages of support for Dreamers. However, broad messages of
support are often insufficient in easing the fear of deportation and the day-to-day struggles of
many DACA students (Teranishi, Suarez-Orozco, & Suarez-Orozco, 2015). They also do little to
make these students feel welcome and supported in a postsecondary setting (Burke, 2014).
Colleges and universities must take an active role to recognize the multi-layered concerns and
issues facing DACA students. Researchers Venegas, et al. (2017), argue that colleges and
universities have an obligation to develop and foster support structures for these students. They
argue that while the long-term solution for Dreamers is legislative action that provides a path
toward citizenship, colleges and universities should not abandon the opportunity to support their
students in ways that support their academic pursuits.
One area many colleges have been proactive to address is the counseling and mental
health needs of Dreamers. Living in a constant state of anxiety about the impact of one’s
immigration status, risk of potential deportation, financial uncertainty, and the ever-changing
dialogue around immigration reform has had a profound impact on Dreamers (Gonzales, et al.,
2013). There is a significant likelihood that Dreamers who need mental health support are
unlikely to come forward seeking that support (Venkataramani & Tsai, 2017). These researchers
argue that the uncertainty and fear around repercussions for coming forward prevent many
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Dreamers from addressing their mental health needs. Likewise, Fillon et al. (2018) argue that
cultural beliefs about mental health treatments also play a role in keeping Dreamers from coming
forward. Beyond these issues are the pragmatic financial concerns that many Dreamers face on a
regular basis. Barring the availability of low or no-cost mental health support, it is difficult for
Dreamers to financially afford regular mental health care. This is particularly true for Dreamers
who are financially supporting family members who may be unable to work due to
undocumented status (Zaidi & Kuczewski, 2017).
Suarez-Orozco, et al. (2015) argue that it is not enough to build support structures and
hope that DACA students can navigate themselves to find those resources. They argue that it is
incumbent on postsecondary institutions to create a culture they refer to as undocu-friendly.
Colleges must foster a welcoming and safe environment in conjunction with establishing
logistical polices that address financial aid and student enrollment. Garcia and Tierney (2011)
argue that the lack of social capital among undocumented college-age students impacts their
ability to navigate the arduous postsecondary structures around financial aid and academic
support. This lack of social capital and the stressors of being undocumented students in a
complex educational system can help foster a self-defeating academic identify for many
undocumented students. Given these identified gaps in support, it is critical for administrators,
faculty and staff of postsecondary institutions to evaluate their roles in creating this culture in
order to appropriately support DACA students. As a result of this growing recognition, many
postsecondary settings have established Dreamer centers as a way to consolidate various support
systems into a single location for Dreamers. The establishment of these centers also
communicates a college’s commitment to supporting the ongoing needs of Dreamers on their
campus (Suarez-Orozco, et al. 2015).
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However, there is the possibility that enacting specific interventions to support Dreamers
or labeling a college a sanctuary institution may appear to run afoul of federal immigration laws.
Though these efforts might be well-intentioned, if they are perceived to be in contradiction to
federal immigration laws, colleges run the risk of losing federal financial aid dollars to support
their entire student population. These concerns have likely prevented colleges and universities
from exploring broader efforts to support Dreamers on their campuses (Hooker, et al., 2015).
California Community Colleges
Community colleges in California are in a unique position to support Dreamers. The
Migration Policy Institute estimates that there are nearly 60,000 DACA-eligible students in the
California Community College system. Of these, approximately 34,000 have registered for
DACA protections (Migration Policy Institute, 2018). Though tracking these students is difficult,
a report by the Migration Policy Institute indicated that it is likely a majority of these students
are attending larger, densely-populated community colleges in the state.
California’s legislature has taken proactive steps to address the financial needs of DACA
students. The passage of Assembly Bill 540 in 2001 exempted undocumented students from out-
of-state tuition prices. This support was bolstered with the passage of CA Dream Act, Assembly
Bill 131 (2017), which made state-funded grants such as Cal Grants, UC Grants, and the Board
of Governor’s Fee Waiver available to students who meet AB 540 criteria. These two bills have
helped address some financial concerns for Dreamers but they do not completely remove the
financial uncertainty many of these students face due to many students’ roles as family
providers. While they offer tangible support for Dreamers, providing in-state tuition is often
insufficient to ensure four-year degree completion (Conger & Chellman, 2013).
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California community colleges, which enroll the highest number of DACA students of
any other postsecondary systems in the country, are still struggling to address how to recognize
and react to their role in supporting Dreamers on their campus (Cadenas, et al., 2018). The
aforementioned assembly bills provided a financial baseline for students but may not address all
financial needs for Dreamers. Given that these students are not eligible for federal financial aid,
their financial resources are still limited by the parameters of the two bills. Further, these bills do
not discuss the much broader needs of this population in a college setting. Valenzuela, et al.
(2015) argue that community colleges must create institutional capacity for Dreamers that
extends beyond direct financial support. Like Suarez-Orozco, et al. (2015), Valenzuela and
colleagues argue that community colleges must build supportive communities that address the
broad needs of Dreamers. In addition to financial aid, these supports can include affordable
health care, access to legal resources and support, the development of policies and procedures
that protects their identity and status, and a strong Dreamer-friendly culture.
There has been system-wide support for the continued protection of DACA students
enrolled in community colleges across the state. After President Trump’s decision to rescind the
DACA program, Community College State Chancellor Eloy Oakley sent out an email to all
community college students, staff, and faculty that stated:
The California Community Colleges remain committed to serving all students, regardless
of immigration status, and to providing safe and welcoming environments in which to
learn. We will do all within our power to assist students affected by this decision and we
will advocate tirelessly in Congress for a permanent resolution to this issue.
-California Community College State Chancellor Eloy Oakley, September 5, 2017
Running Head: DACA STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES 33
However, questions persist about the scope and ability of community colleges to
effectively assist Dreamers. State educational systems have utilized different approaches to
addressing the needs of Dreamers but no state has challenges as unique as the ones faced by
California. These challenges are highlighted by the state’s large DACA population, proximity to
Mexico (where most DACA students hail from), and large state college systems with large
enrollment numbers of Dreamers.
Unfortunately, there is a significant lack of literature on the support structures created by
community colleges to support Dreamers. As a result, there is also little research available to
examine the outcomes of these efforts. This lack of research makes it challenging for colleges
which have not yet adopted measures to support Dreamers to develop a best-practices approach
to these efforts. For open-enrollment institutions such as community colleges, these issues are
exacerbated because tracking its student population from term to term is already a challenge.
Adding in the likelihood that many Dreamers will not self-identify during their enrollment at the
college makes it difficult to connect those students with any resources that are eventually created
to help support them.
As new political realities force colleges to examine whether or not their current support
structures are sufficient, more colleges will conclude that they need to adopt a more proactive
role in supporting Dreamers on their campus. Ideally, these efforts, along with the challenges
encountered while developing them, will be shared widely enough so that other postsecondary
institutions will avoid missteps as they work to ensure they are creating undocu-friendly
institutions.
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Chapter Three: Methods
Introduction
In order to determine the types of institutional supports provided to DACA students and
the underlying rationale behind providing these supports in California community colleges, I will
utilize a qualitative research design method. This method is best suited to examine these
questions.
The goal of this research study will be to address the following research questions:
1) What support services were adopted or created by community colleges to address the
needs of DACA students?
2) Why were these services and policies adopted?
3) How do colleges understand their role in providing support to DACA students?
Methodology and Data Collection
A multi-case study qualitative approach will be used to examine these questions.
Qualitative research methods provide for deep, nuanced understandings of individual
perspectives of a certain subject area. It is an approach that allows for exploration and
understanding a particular social or human problem (Creswell, 2014). If structured correctly,
qualitative research allows for the deeper exploration of a research topic by using a process that
values input from participants and uses their responses to address overarching research questions
(Maxwell, 2013).
Interviews will be conducted in order to gather data and address the research questions.
The interview questions will be developed utilizing existing constructs highlighted in research
literature that focuses on DACA students and their needs in postsecondary settings. All interview
participants will sign an informed consent form before our interviews. I will also use
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pseudonyms, chosen by my research participants, to protect their confidentiality and help ensure
they feel comfortable and safe during the interview process.
The interview protocol will contain an informal survey to obtain brief background
information on the research participant. The informal survey will be followed by questions
addressing the original research questions. Following these questions will be the opportunity for
probing questions to gain better insight into the responses of participants. It is nearly impossible
to develop probing questions ahead of time due to the varied responses that will likely come
from research participants (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). The probe questions I utilize will allow
for a better understanding of the initial answers given by participants.
Interviews will last approximately 60-90 minutes depending on the length of the answers
given. Ideally, they will take place in-person so I can more actively engage with the research
participant. However, I realize that due to the likelihood participants will come from various
parts of the state, in-person interviews will not always be possible. If an in-person interview is
not possible, I will coordinate a scheduled time and date for a phone interview with my research
participants. The goal of this scheduled time will be to ensure the participant has substantial time
to commit to the interview and a private location of their choosing to participate open and
honestly.
To ensure my data collection is accurate, all interviews will be recorded and transcribed.
This will serve two functions. It will guarantee the interview responses are recorded accurately.
This process of keeping detailed information provides confirmability to the final results of a
study (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). It will also give me the opportunity to meaningfully engage
with my research participant during the interview process (Maxwell, 2013).
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I will take notes and memos to maintain a record of my thought processes during the
interviews. These notes will assist me during the process of analyzing my data and identifying
emergent themes from the various responses (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016).
Sample
The selection of research participants will be through a purposive sampling approach.
This method allows researchers to select participants or sites that will best help the researcher
understand the problem and research questions (Creswell, 2014). The sample research
participants from this study will be administrators working within the California Community
College system. When compared to other states, California has the highest number of both
DACA eligible individuals and DACA postsecondary students in the country (Migration Policy
Institute, 2018). The majority of these DACA students who enrolled in a postsecondary setting
are enrolled in the California Community College system (California Community College
Chancellor’s Office, 2018). There is a pressing need for these institutions in particular to address
the needs of many of their students. There are an estimated 36,000 DACA students enrolled in
the California Community College system, with an estimated additional 24,000 eligible for
services (California Community College Chancellor’s Office, 2018). Focusing on these
institutions where the issue of serving a large number of DACA students is already a present
challenge will ideally yield more detailed responses from participants.
Four-year colleges and universities will not be the focus of this study. There are fewer
DACA students enrolled at these institutions when compared to the California community
colleges. Also, while California community colleges share organizational similarities, there are
many institutional variations in organizational structure, funding, and educational missions
among four-year colleges and universities. This wide variation would make it difficult to make
Running Head: DACA STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES 37
comparisons between institutions that have developed services for DACA students. This is a
recognized shortcoming of this study because it would be beneficial to understand how these
institutions support DACA students. However, maintaining a focus on community colleges
allows for comparisons between institutions with similar structures, funding models, staffing
organizational charts, and institutional missions.
Research indicates that there is significant variation among colleges of the types of
support offered to DACA students (Chan, 2010). Even within the California community college
system, the type and breadth of services vary widely. I will focus on institutions likely to have a
substantial number of DACA students enrolled, which may have served as an impetus for these
colleges to develop services or explore their role in serving DACA students. For this reason, I
will focus my outreach efforts on community colleges in southern California. I will focus on
institutions with a student enrollment of at least 12,500. Data shows that while DACA students
are enrolled in colleges of all sizes, they mimic the general student population in terms of
attendance at larger institutions (Migration Policy Institute, 2018). It is therefore more likely that
larger community colleges have a higher number of enrolled DACA students. A review of data
provided by the California Community College Chancellor’s Office indicates that as of 2018, 35
community colleges in southern California meet this enrollment criteria (California Community
Colleges Chancellor’s Office DataMart, 2018).
The sample for this study will ideally include 8-10 research participants. I established the
number of targeted participants by using enrollment criteria for participating institutions and
recognition that not all eligible colleges will be available to participate. Research participants
will be serving as Vice Presidents of Student Services at California community colleges. I chose
to focus on this administrative position because in the California Community College system,
Running Head: DACA STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES 38
Vice Presidents of Student Services regularly have oversight of enrollment services, outreach
offices, student engagement efforts and financial aid offices. These are all critical areas that
impact DACA students and research indicates they are the most likely institutional areas where
supports are provided to support these students (Suarez-Orozco, 2015). Vice Presidents
overseeing these areas likely have insight into the available services offered through these offices
as well as how and why those services were developed.
Data will be collected over a 3-4 month period from August 2018-November 2018. Data
analysis will be ongoing and be completed by December 2018.
Analysis
In order to analyze my interview data, the recordings, notes and memos will be organized
and reviewed. Interview transcripts will be coded in order to identify emergent themes. This
process of identifying emergent themes from the use of codes will help address the underlying
research questions while also allowing for the presentation of other findings that emerge from the
study (Rossman & Rallis, 2012). Themes will be developed by using a constant comparative
method which allows for comparison between segments of data (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016).
Memos will be reviewed to better reflect on my own thoughts during the interview that were
raised by a discussion of larger theoretical or practical implications related to the issue being
studied (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016).
Bolman and Deal’s (2008) four frames of organizational processes will be used as a
theoretical framework for this study. Participant responses will be discussed in context of
Bolman and Deal’s four organizational frameworks: political, structural, human resources, and
symbolic frames. A research narrative will be used to highlight the identified themes and explore
Running Head: DACA STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES 39
the findings of the study. The narrative will address the research questions of the study using a
review of all the collected data.
Validity and Reliability
In order to ensure validity of the data in my study, interviews will be recorded and
transcribed by a third-party professional transcription organization. These transcripts, along with
the themes I develop after a thorough review of the data will be shared with research participants
via a process called member checking. Member checking allows for participants to review the
findings of the study and provide feedback on whether or not they feel the findings are accurate
(Creswell, 2014).
Though qualitative research is not typically generalizable and findings are difficult to
replicate, there are still ways to incorporate reliability within a study. One method I will utilize is
the process of triangulation to confirm feedback received during my interviews with participants.
Triangulation is the process of using multiple sources of data to cross-check gathered data in
another form (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). This will include a review of college equity reports,
strategic planning processes, and other documents that may validate the self-reporting of services
developed for DACA students at a particular institution.
Researcher Bias and Positionality
As I embark on this research, it will be critical for me to recognize my own biases and
positionality. I must ensure that this positionality does not impact the results of my study.
Personal biases can hinder the collection of data and the process of analyzing that
information. However, rather than attempt to eliminate any bias, researchers must recognize that
it is a natural element of research and it would be appropriate to identify them, monitor them
Running Head: DACA STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES 40
during the research process, and report on how (if at all) they shaped the ultimate findings
(Merriam & Tisdell, 2016).
I am a first-generation college graduate whose father emigrated from a foreign country
before I was born and whose mother grew up in a Mexican-American household in Texas, a state
which is encountering similar struggles in providing DACA students with comprehensive student
support services. Many of the topics and discussions around DACA students involve broader
conversations about immigration and the role it plays in our country.
I am a community college administrator and in my position I work with students who
have disabilities, many of whom are first-generation students who come from impoverished
socioeconomic backgrounds. The office I lead is housed under the division of student services,
which is the division I will be reaching out to at various institutions for research participants.
While this position can provide me with access, it will be critical to monitor my presumed
insider status when collecting data (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016).
A large number of students I have worked with are DACA eligible students who struggle
with many of the issues identified in research literature focused on the needs of Dreamers and
DACA-eligible youths. I have seen these students cry from the stress brought on by a
presidential administration which openly states it views them as criminals, rapists and murderers
(Apuzzo & Ruiz, 2017). I have worked with these students as they tried to navigate the
sometimes arduous institutional barriers we establish without fully understanding the practical
impacts on the students those policies were intended to serve. I feel a connection to these
students because if you stripped away the label of DACA, their struggles are not unlike any other
student’s. They have anxiety about their futures. They worry about upcoming exams. They crave
Running Head: DACA STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES 41
acceptance and meaningful relationships with their peers. This background will inform my
research questions and provide context to my findings.
My personal feelings are that this country, which was founded by immigrants searching
for better lives for themselves and most importantly, their children, has a moral obligation to
welcome these young individuals as their own and address their needs. DACA students came to
this country because their parents, like the immigrants who stepped off the Mayflower nearly
400 years ago, wanted a better life for their children. They committed no crime and I believe
their presence in our country reinforces the bonds that connect us all as human beings, not just
American citizens.
However, the goal of the study is to understand colleges’ approaches to support DACA
students and the motivations behind the development of those supports. My personal experiences
and beliefs are what motivate me to seek out these answers. They are not, however, part of the
data that will be collected and presented in this study. My interest on this particular topic is what
helped me recognize that there is a lack of research on the ongoing support systems for these
students. The overall research questions will seek to address this identified gap.
Methodological Limitations
There are limitations to this methodological approach. First, the lack of non-random
participant assignment is a shortcoming that is inherent to this type of study. However, the
benefits of purposive sampling in the study outweigh the costs of non-randomized assignment.
The ability to focus the research questions on a sample of institutions that would likely yield the
most relevant data
Another limitation is the inability to broadly generalize my findings to other settings. The
focus of qualitative research is to focus on specific settings and answer the research questions in
Running Head: DACA STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES 42
the context of these settings (Maxwell, 2013). While this allows for in-depth understanding of a
particular setting, it does not lend itself to generalizing any findings to the broader population or
other similar settings.
This study will focus exclusively on California community colleges, and to be more
specific, community colleges located in southern California. There will be no inclusion of private
or public four-year universities and colleges. There is no inclusion of graduate schools. However,
given that the data highlights that most DACA students in California are enrolled in the
California community college system, this choice was intentional. In the future, including other
institutions would be a valuable avenue for other researchers to explore.
Running Head: DACA STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES 43
Chapter Four: Analysis
This purpose of this study was to examine the support services available to DACA and
Dreamer students in the California Community College system. This study utilizes Bolman and
Deal’s (2013) organizational research as a framework to better understand the organizational
philosophies that guided the creation and provision of those services. This chapter discusses the
responses provided by research participants. The chapter includes an analysis of interview
responses as well as a document analysis.
The research questions being explored in this study are:
1. What support services were adopted or created by community colleges to address the
needs of DACA students?
2. Why were these services and policies adopted?
3. How do colleges understand their role in providing support for DACA students?
Of the thirty-five colleges that met the research criteria, fifteen colleges responded to
research invitations. Of these fifteen colleges, three participants indicated they were unable to
participate but were hopeful I would be able to share the final report with their offices. Three
colleges expressed interest in the study but were unable to schedule interviews due to various
factors. Nine colleges expressed their interest in the study and were able to participate. Twenty
colleges did not respond to invitations to participate in this study.
Figure 3. Response Rate
Colleges that met
research criteria
Number of college
participants
Colleges unable to
schedule
Colleges
uninterested in
participating
35 9 3 3
Running Head: DACA STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES 44
Data analysis was conducted on the interview responses of these nine research
participants. Participants were either Vice Presidents of Student Services at their respective
colleges or, in two cases, were the individuals specifically tasked by their colleges to create
support structures for DACA and Dreamer students. The original intent of the study was to
capture responses from Vice Presidents in order to better understand the organizational approach
to serving this student population. However, in two cases college administration officials felt the
individual who would best be able to provide those responses did not reside in the office of the
Vice President. In both cases, those individuals worked within Student Services departments.
During the process of analyzing the data and organizing research participants’ responses,
it became clear that many details which would provide context to the responses would also serve
to inadvertently identify the research participants. In order to maintain the confidentiality of
research participants, any potentially identifying information such as the names and locations of
their respective colleges, specific information about the participants’ years of experience, and
other potentially identifying information were removed. Research participants frequently
requested that their names and colleges be kept confidential. These efforts to protect their
confidentiality were done in a way that respects participant wishes but also allows for their
responses to be examined in the broader context of the overarching research questions.
The nine college participants represented in this study come from eight distinct
community college districts from across the state. Each of the colleges has a student population
greater than 12,500. Pseudonyms were used for research participants and their respective
colleges.
Five main themes were identified after reviewing the interview responses and transcripts.
These five themes were identified by coding the participant responses. Coding is the process of
Running Head: DACA STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES 45
categorizing the recorded interview transcripts and notes into groups that have related links and
themes (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). These themes highlighted areas where participants shared
similar experiences, viewpoints and responses to the interview questions. There were variations
in their responses but the themes were represented in their individual answers. The five identified
themes were:
1. Institutional awareness that there was a need for services for DACA/Dreamer students
2. Impact of the Trump administration on college’s approach to provide services to this
population
3. Challenge of securing funding to provide tangible support services for students
4. Minimal participation of Board of Trustees in discussions regarding support of this
student population
5. Identification of college “champion” who led efforts to support this population
The Trump administration’s negative rhetoric aimed at DACA and promises to rescind it if
elected had a significant impact on colleges’ institutional approaches to serving students
protected under the order. This rhetoric shaped the conversations that occurred on the research
participants’ colleges. Participants frequently indicated that the Trump administration’s efforts to
rescind DACA seemed to be the driving force behind discussions on college campuses
addressing the needs of undocumented students.
In many cases, the Trump administration’s attempt to rescind the law coupled with the
judicial system’s decisions upholding the order prolonged the decision-making process at the
college level. Research participants shared that the uncertainty surrounding DACA impacted
decision-making processes. This uncertainty motivated colleges to develop support systems but
also created a sense of paralysis due to the frequently changing political and legal landscape of
Running Head: DACA STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES 46
the order. Research participants shared that many of the defined support systems available to
DACA students and Dreamers were developed after Donald Trump was elected president and his
campaign promises of rescinding DACA became more likely.
Six research participants shared that as a result of this uncertainty, their institutions began
conversations that sought to define how they would respond to the needs of DACA students.
These conversations were at times challenging because of the varying opinions on whether or not
the colleges had a responsibility to develop any specific supports for this population. These
institutional dialogues were critical to the approaches adopted by the colleges and described by
research participants. It is important to note that conversations on college campuses on this topic
are ongoing and regularly impacted by changes in the national and judicial discourse on DACA.
From the five main themes, an additional three sub-themes emerged. These subthemes were
found after a similar review of the interview transcripts and notes. Subthemes are patterns that
emerge from broader overarching themes in the research and they provide specific insight to
particular findings in the data (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). These identified subthemes built upon
the main themes and helped frame the discussion while addressing the research questions. These
three subthemes were:
1. Lack of assessment measures to determine effectiveness of services (linked to
Institutional Awareness)
2. DACA support as a social justice issue (linked to Impact of Trump Administration)
3. Need for increased collaboration with high schools and 4-year colleges/universities
(linked to Funding and tangible services)
Running Head: DACA STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES 47
Figure 4. Themes and Subthemes
The following is a description of the identified themes along with corresponding narratives
from research participants.
Theme 1: Institutional Awareness
All nine research participants discussed an awareness of the issues facing DACA students
enrolled in their respective colleges. However, there were various levels of awareness at each
institution which has led to various degrees of service provision. All research participants
acknowledged that their college administrations were grappling with how best to serve DACA
students enrolled at their institutions. These conversations were challenging and at times, fraught
with differing opinions on the level of support this population should receive.
A desire to support for DACA students and Dreamers was shared by each research
participant. The challenge faced by the colleges, they reported, was what that support would look
like in a practical sense. College administrators interviewed in this study reported that court
challenges to DACA protections created challenges for colleges to enact sustainable support
systems. Colleges were unaware if these new support systems would need to be undone with a
new court ruling. So while there was widespread agreement that the college communities wanted
to create what Suarez-Orozco and colleagues (2015) refer to as undocu-friendly spaces, there
Running Head: DACA STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES 48
was also a shared sense of trepidation that the fruits of any efforts would be short-lived and
underutilized.
Vice President of Student Services at Tatooine College, Dr. Peters, who has overseen the
development of services aimed at addressing the needs of DACA and undocumented students
described how this uncertainty impacted the approach adopted by her college:
So we have built the collective will at the college to immediately respond to even when
we’re not fully resourced about what to say or do. You know, at that time we didn't know
if the DACA ruling was going to stand. Fortunately, it did. So, but I was there simply to
hear the students. Let them know we will help them. We'll find and connect them to
resources. And it also gave us a greater sense of urgency and a higher consciousness
about getting a space for them. – Dr. Peters, Vice President of Student Services, Tatooine
College
Research participants shared that there were also differences in the level of community
support for these efforts. While most of the college stakeholders rallied behind the development
and provision of support for DACA students and Dreamers, neighboring communities voiced
concerns about the extent of those services. Some of these community members shared their
concerns with college administrators and the respective Board of Trustees overseeing the
college. Two research participants pointed to the specific concern that any resources used to
support this student population would likely be coming from funds that would have otherwise
supported students who were American citizens attending the college.
However, even with these ongoing external concerns, colleges moved forward with plans
to develop support systems. There were no examples of research participants deciding not to
provide services for this reason. Research participants frequently indicated that even with this
Running Head: DACA STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES 49
uncertainty, they and others at their institutions felt a responsibility to support these students.
However, having this awareness helped shape approaches to funding any future efforts. It also
influenced colleges to leverage existing support systems such as Extended Opportunities
Programs and Services (EOPS) and Puente programs to support the needs of DACA students and
Dreamers.
To be honest with you, I want to say it was almost like a total buy-in from everybody, the
academic senate, I know, came and made pleas to the Board. We had students who came
and they made their public comments to the Board. We had discussed it at the Vice
Presidential level. We had discussions at the Presidential Leadership Team, which would
have been the Presidents and all the VPs here at Riverside City College, and it just kind
of is one of those things where everybody was understanding how that impact was for the
students. – Dr. Richards, Vice President of Student Services, College of Coruscant
This approach mirrors two of Bolman and Deal’s (2013) organizational frames: symbolic
and structural. When organizations adopt the symbolic frame, they do so in order to project the
values and meaning of an institution. An institutional commitment to supporting DACA students
and Dreamers in a very public manner seems to align with this frame. The structural frame is
captured by an institution’s focus on the creation of rules, policies and an overarching approach
to an issue. For the purposes of this study, this frame seems to be clearly communicated in the
participants’ efforts to develop college-wide support structures through existing share
governance processes.
A few research participants indicated that part of establishing a campus-wide culture was
to change the language used around undocumented students. They have been very intentional
Running Head: DACA STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES 50
about using language that is empowering and inclusive rather than language that has the potential
to single students out.
We wouldn't classify them as AB 540. We wouldn't shame them. We wouldn't, you
know, we wouldn't segregate them. They would be integrated just like they should be.
And I think it's weird that we hold young people accountable for decisions their parents
made. – Dean Fields, Endor Canyon College
These concerns about the impact of language were shared by a four research participants.
Respondents indicated that as their colleges embarked on creating supportive environments for
undocumented students, early efforts focused on how college stakeholders could make their
campuses more welcome and invite students to self-disclose their needs. The labels used in
media discussions and by the Trump administration often carried negative connotations depicting
undocumented individuals as criminals (King, 2018). As a result, there was a concerted effort to
move away from those labels and adopt more supportive dialogues on college campuses. Dr.
Munoz of Dagobah City College described those efforts:
But I want to say that we have been able to shift some of the culture on campus, when it's
the reverse to how we approach, you know working with undocumented student on
campus. And to give you a perfect example -- back in the days, and I would say probably
five years ago, when people would -- you hear the word undocumented, they were like,
"No. No. We don't want to talk about this in public." Until now, it's like we're trying to
normalize that. One thing that we have in this is with a -- to protect our students, the lingo
that we use here in our program is 8540 or DREAMer. We don't use the word
undocumented as much. And now whatever students want to get addressed, we do that.
Running Head: DACA STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES 51
But at the beginning with students, purposely, because we didn't want people to be
against what we're trying to build. – Dr. Munoz, Dagobah City College
These combined efforts have led colleges to develop inclusive environments for DACA
students and Dreamers while at the same time educating the rest of the campus community on
how they can support these efforts.
These are people we live and work with, that we go to church with, and see in our
grocery stores. It's not like these aren't our community. They are our community. And I
think it's easier for us to rally around that. – Dean Fields, Endor Canyon College
Research participants indicated that the earliest conversations on their campuses helped
lay the groundwork for what would eventually become institution-wide discussions. As
discussions grew and more stakeholders became involved, formal approaches and support
systems were adopted.
Subtheme: Lack of Assessment Measures
A consistent theme that was linked to college’s institutional awareness of a need for
services was the acknowledgment that it was challenging to assess the college’s progress in these
efforts. Research participants discussed the challenge of assessing the effectiveness of the
support systems they put in place. The reasons for this challenge varied by institution and scope
but were regularly addressed in participant responses.
Three research participants pointed to the use of informal assessments such as increased
usage of a dedicated Dreamer space, an increase in the number of DACA application renewals
facilitated by the college, financial resources dedicated to DACA and Dreamers, and the number
of students who self-identify as being DACA or undocumented. However, these measures
provide little meaningful information that the colleges can use to develop or expand programs.
Running Head: DACA STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES 52
Also, the lack of previous data on this student population has made it challenging to determine if
new services have had any impact on this student population. Older data would have served as a
baseline of institutional support as new programs were being implemented and assessed to see if
they impacted the original baseline.
We’re working on opening a Center. Until then, I think we gather information just, you
know, anecdotally in terms of just hearing stories about students and hopefully they're
positive stories about, you know, the impact that staff has had or, you know, the folks
have, you know, been, you know, the point person for students in these various areas but
we haven't across the board been intentional about understanding or assessing the needs
and, you know, are we meeting those needs effectively. – Dr. Morris, Vice President of
Student Services, Alderaan City College
One of the main challenges with assessing the effectiveness of services is that DACA
students do not need to self-disclose their DACA status to the college. The only area of the
college that a DACA student or a Dreamer would need to self-disclose would be Financial Aid.
Even in this area, that would only by the case if the student was applying for financial aid in the
form of a California Dream Act grant. However, applications to this specific type of financial aid
have fallen precipitously since President Trump was elected. The California Community College
Chancellor’s office points to the likelihood of students fearing that self-disclosing their status
during the application process would negatively impact them should the current administration
find success in rescinding DACA protections (Resmovits, 2018).
Participants shared that without a student body to assess, assessment measures are
typically on the usage rates of services that have been established. In essence, they have adopted
a “if you build it, they will come” approach to serving DACA students and Dreamers.
Running Head: DACA STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES 53
Participants also pointed to the assessment of the broader college community as it relates to their
understanding of the needs of DACA students and Dreamers. For example, four of the research
participants had either implemented or were in the process of implementing a training program
for staff, administration, and faculty on the needs of DACA students. These assessments focused
on the college’s approach to build a community-wide support system for students. This approach
aligns closely with what Bolman and Deal (2013) described under their Human Resource frame
because of its emphasis on empowerment and the organizational ethic of care.
We've identified that we need to be better at collecting our own data. And not data on
success and persistence and retention and all that. We are okay with that. It's more
satisfaction surveys with our students. You know, what do you think about the center?
What can the center improve? What's missing? So, we have committed to get that started
here in the spring. – Dean Fields, Endor Canyon College
The development of assessment measures seemed to be secondary to the immediate need
to provide initial supports to undocumented students. While assessing the effectiveness of
initiatives and resources was important, all participants reiterated that their primary concerns
were developing a supportive culture on their campus and providing supports to DACA students
and Dreamers that reflected this support. Participants indicated that any assessment measures
developed by their respective colleges would be shared broadly with the college community and
utilized to improve or build services.
Theme 2: Impact of Trump Administration on Colleges’ Approaches
In conducting my research, I used a constant comparative approach. This approach allows
researchers identify emergent themes and incorporate them into my interview protocol questions
to better address my original research questions (Corbin & Strauss, 2008).
Running Head: DACA STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES 54
The first three interview participants all spoke of the impact the Trump administration
and its policies and rhetoric towards DACA students had on their respective colleges’
approaches. As a result, I added a question specifically about the Trump administration in my
future interview protocols. This allowed me to include a more specific question based on
previous responses from research participants. The responses of early participants served to
inform my future research approach and guide my efforts to engage participants in discussions
about how the Trump administration had impacted, if at all, their college’s approach to serving
this population. The question I added to the protocol was:
Has the rhetoric and language coming from the Trump administration on the topic of
DACA influenced how your college addressed this student population?
Follow up: If so, how?
All nine participants indicated that the Trump administration, either through policy
directives, rhetoric, or uncertainty of various pending court cases, impacted how their colleges
responded to the needs of DACA students and Dreamers.
Based on the politics that was going on, particularly with President Trump, saying that he
wanted to do away with DACA, with California stating that it was going to be a
sanctuary state, and even as far down into it as our district, took it upon itself to say that it
would be a sanctuary campus, for the most part, for our DACA and Dreamer students, so
that they will feel protected on the campus. – Dr. Richards, Vice President of Student
Services, College of Coruscant
They shared that the rhetoric from the Trump administration supporting the rescission of
DACA protections served to spur their colleges into more meaningful action. Of the nine college
participants, only two had either opened or developed plans to open “dreamer” centers on their
Running Head: DACA STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES 55
college campuses before the 2016 presidential election. The other seven colleges indicated that
the majority of this work began during the 2016 presidential election cycle or shortly after
Donald Trump was elected president. Research participants indicated that Trump’s election and
his campaign promise to rescind the DACA program caused their colleges to rethink the level of
support they were providing this student population.
Well, I think it shown a light on the fact we needed to do something and not wait around
until it was too late to establish any support. I think we assumed that politics would head
in the other direction and DACA would actually be the bare minimum level of support
these students would have. Instead, even that was slipping away. So yeah...I…well we
knew we had to step up. We didn’t know what that even looked like right? ::laughter::.
But we knew we couldn’t stay still. How could we? – Dr. Sanders, Yavin Lake College
These discussions focused on a need to offer some level of protection to students and a
goal to provide training to faculty and staff who would need to be made aware of the issues
impacting this student population. This approach echoes Huerta and O’Campo’s (2017)
recommendations for providing sustainable support to undocumented students. In their research,
Huerta and O’Campo stress the importance of colleges adopting multi-pronged support systems
for this student population. They argued that offering these wrap-around services would increase
the likelihood of students utilizing some level of support at the college.
The current White House administration has created some panic with the population, but
I think we've dealt with it really well by just turning around, and we started
communicating with them right away. The day after, the day after that, you know, bomb
was dropped. We turned around and got on the phones. And just reassured students that
Running Head: DACA STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES 56
they are our students. They have every right to be here. They have every right to an
education. – Dean Fields, Endor Canyon College
All research participants expressed significant frustration with the impact of the Trump
administration’s policies and rhetoric on the students at their respective colleges. They indicated
that the rhetoric made it less likely for students to seek out services for which they might be
eligible. A particular concern shared by four research participants was the fear students, faculty
and administrators had that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents would come to
their colleges and seek to remove undocumented students. As a result, these research participants
indicated that their colleges had developed protocols in the event that ICE agents would arrive on
campus. Vice President of Student Services at Tatooine College, Dr. Peters, provided a specific
example of how this policy was enacted after an administrator reported seeing an individual on
campus who appeared to be an ICE agent.
Just last week a faculty member, you know, I make sure to go to lots of different events
so I can meet lots of faculty and staff. And so a faculty member e-mailed me and his
dean. And said, hey, I think I just saw an ICE agent at the (removed) station. Which is
right here by campus. So I text all the leaders. And said, hey, I just got this tip. I don't
know if it's true or not. And so one of my staff drove to station to check. They drove to
all the stations. I text one of my, I text the chief of police for the city and asked him. And
so we were all trying to find out. And, you know, in the meantime we did put some
private text messages out to students. But we didn't want to scare all our students by
putting a notice out. And it made us realize we need to do a know your rights campaign.
If ICE agents do stop you, here are your rights. – Dr. Peters, Vice President of Student
Services, Tatooine College
Running Head: DACA STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES 57
Participant responses demonstrated the continued impact the Trump administration
policies and approach toward DACA have informed their decision-making processes. In almost
all cases, the Trump administration has led them to either build new programs or bolster existing
ones to support this student population.
Subtheme: DACA Support as a Social Justice Issue
One of the research questions this study sought to answer was colleges’ perceptions of
their role in providing support services to DACA students. There is no legal mandate forcing
colleges to provide over-and-above services to this student population. They are not entitled to
services beyond what any other student would have available to them in a college setting. Why
then, do colleges create these systems of support given the unique challenges they encounter
during their efforts to do so? A common response from research participants was that DACA
was not a matriculation issue or a financial aid issue. They viewed the entire political dialogue
around DACA students and Dreamers as a social justice issue that needed to be addressed by
their institutions.
I come from, you know, a grassroots and social justice advocacy background myself. And
I find that in many of the people I've hired, they're also interested in social justice.
Educational equity. And it's our passion. It's our, it's what drives us, you know. The
people…they're doing the work out of the love they have for students. And the
philosophy that we all have to help create social justice. You know, it can't be business as
usual. And we have to break the status quo through our work. And another part of our
philosophy is it's a collective. You know, it's not just faculty that does it. It's not just
putting the burden on the students to have their own club and then not us do anything as
Running Head: DACA STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES 58
an institution. There has to be a collaborative approach. – Dr. Richards, Vice President of
Student Services, College of Coruscant
Four research participants indicated that they had sought to include DACA students and
Dreamers in their respective college’s Equity plans. These plans seek to reduce or eliminate any
disproportionate gaps in student access and success that the college has identified exists. A
review of the college websites for research participants did reflect that DACA students were
mentioned in five of the nine college participants. However, the current California Community
College Equity Model does not include undocumented students as a mandatory reporting group
(California Community College Chancellor’s Office, 2018). This means that colleges are not
required to research any equity gaps impacting this student population. It also means that even if
gaps are identified through a college’s internal processes, the college is not required to develop
interventions to address and close this gap.
However, three research participants indicated that their colleges perceived the lack of
available resources for undocumented students as a social justice issue. As a result, they felt
compelled to provide services for these students even if there was no corresponding mandate to
do so. Two participants indicated that student groups at their respective colleges had led or
participated in protests in support of DACA students. They highlighted the California statewide
day of action held on December 20, 2017 as being one example where students participated in
protests in Los Angeles and Sacramento. Some participants indicated that their college student
organizations had organized similar rallies on their respective campuses to demonstrate support
for DACA students.
Gonzales (2013) argued that the issue of undocumented students had led to an increased
level of political activism among college students. His research highlighted the increased
Running Head: DACA STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES 59
prevalence of protests, social engagement with immigration reform, and development of student
clubs on campuses specifically to address the needs of this student population. Research
participants touched on the various ways college stakeholders were engaging in social justice
activism for students at their respective campuses or for undocumented students in general.
It’s a small thing but you see offices with these sort of ally stickers for Dreamers on the
doors. And you hear about students going in to LA or San Diego to participate in rallies
in support of DACA. And I can’t remember seeing that sort of energy in my time here
about any political movement recently. That energy sort of permeates the college because
it’s not centralized to one group like the faculty….or the students….you know? Everyone
is involved in their own way. – Dr. Sanders, Yavin Lake College
Research participants who viewed DACA as a social justice issue moved quickly to share
this message with their respective student governments, academic senates, and other
stakeholders. The goal of framing the needs of undocumented students as a social justice issue
served to highlight the importance and relevance of the college’s efforts.
Theme 3: Funding and Tangible Supports
While the colleges who participated agreed that there was a need to provide support for
DACA and Dreamer students, they varied widely in the levels of tangible support services they
offered. All nine research participants shared concerns about the level of tangible supports
offered, the feasibility within their roles to offer supports, and the sustainability of providing
targeted support for this student population at the expense of other student and college needs.
The most consistent support mentioned by participants was financial. Due to federal
financial aid restrictions for DACA students, research participants indicated that their colleges
had sought out ways to subsidize a DACA student’s cost of attendance through other financial
Running Head: DACA STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES 60
means. However, there were challenges with seeking out community support for financial
resources. For example, College of Naboo indicated that its community was divided in its
political and social support for DACA as an executive order and for the students who received
protections under the program.
We are in a very Republican area, very much sort of -- you know, not very supportive.
And so, there is always this balance, when I'm thinking of -- so individuals, obviously --
if you look at individuals, there are a lot of support, you know, among the administration
and board members. But I think as an institution, there has always been this kind of a
balance of how do we make sure that we are supporters, yet not anger our neighbors. And
so, that's -- you know, I'm not sure that we are at the level of being unapologetic to say,
'Yeah, these are our students, and we are going to support them." – Dr. Michaels, Vice
President of Student Services, College of Naboo
This made it challenging to seek external community resources such as scholarships or
donations to create a sustainable Dreamer center for the college’s DACA and Dreamer students.
Two colleges shared that they faced public pressure to ensure funds were not being redirected
from other student organizations or college priorities in order to support DACA students. This
concern from community members, participants indicated, was borne out of concern that
students who were already American citizens would feel the burden of supporting students who
were not.
The campus and Dr. (removed) said, you know, we've got to do this, and they did it. And,
again, there were some folks that were, well, what the hell? We've been waiting, and how
come them, and, you know, well, well, well, and we just kept moving forward. We do so
Running Head: DACA STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES 61
humbly. We recognize that politically we've received something that we shouldn't have,
you know? But we're not apologetic. – Dean Fields, Endor Canyon College
The administrators interviewed indicated that this concern about reallocated resources
was rarely heard on their respective campuses. Rather, it was a concern shared in the larger
community surrounding the college and at times brought forth to the Board of Trustees.
However, three research participants indicated that they were constantly aware that any tangible
services provided to undocumented students had the potential of setting off a political firestorm
on their campuses or communities. As a result, their approaches were often methodical and
vetted through college strategic planning processes in order to build campus-wide consensus
before the adoption and enactment of any support system.
The most common tangible supports offered by colleges in this study included: legal aid,
financial assistance for DACA renewal applications, priority with on campus employment, and
scholarships established through the colleges and their respective foundations. Other supports
such as textbooks, school supplies and food vouchers were often leveraged through other
existing programs such as EOPS, Equity funding, or TRIO programs. However, the availability
of these resources was limited and inconsistent. Another problem faced by research participants
was that making these services available did not always mean students were open to utilizing
them. This experience mirrors what Suarez-Orozco, et al. (2015) indicated was a main obstacle
to supporting undocumented students. Students needing the most assistance are often those who
are least likely to come forward to address their needs. This is often out of fear that self-
disclosure of their immigration status will lead to negative repercussions.
I think the other piece to this is the financial piece, right, and so I would really want to
just elevate the scholarships that we have available for undocumented students and really
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being able to support students financially in a way above and beyond, you know, what
they may be able to receive currently through financial aid but I think also finding some
additional resources to support students in their education. And we haven't done anything
specific and I don't even think we have a dedicated scholarship for undocumented
students at this point. And so that's a huge need, I do know, and something that I
recognize….I'd love for us to be able to have some dedicated resources specifically for
undocumented students. – Dr. Morris, Vice President of Student Services, Alderaan City
College
Another research participant described active efforts the college has undertaken to find
funding for undocumented students because they recognized the college might be unable to find
alternative funding.
We did a fundraiser to help our students pay for DACA. So we farm raised about 15,000
dollars within three weeks. So my goal, personally, is to increase those fundings that we
have because I don't want [unintelligible] for DACA renewal because of the fact that they
didn't have the money for it. And then, you know, I think that what I want to see more of
is like stronger partnerships. We have partnerships, but I want to see a stronger base,
specifically with financial aid. – Dr. Munoz, Dagobah City College
All nine research participants indicated that their colleges had sent out campus-side
emails reiterating that the college welcomed all students, regardless of immigration status. Each
college that participated in this research sent a message to their college communities from the
Chancellor of the California Community College system, Eloy Oakley. This message reiterated a
system-wide commitment to supporting DACA students and was sent out shortly after President
Trump’s promise to rescind the DACA program. Similar messages from Boards of Trustees,
Running Head: DACA STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES 63
student government groups, and Academic Senates were sent in support of undocumented
students. However, with a lack of guidance from the Chancellor’s office on what colleges could
do to direct financial resources to address this issue, college administrations were left to navigate
that process alone.
It's lacking. And also the Chancellor's office should have a web page of resources for us.
You know, like that legislation that I told you about. It should have been somewhere
where we could find it, you know. It wasn't anywhere. You almost have to hunt it down.
– Dr. Richards, Vice President of Student Services, College of Coruscant
Securing funding to support DACA students and Dreamers continues to be a struggle.
However, efforts by colleges to integrate undocumented students within their respective Equity
plans offers an opportunity for institutions to access funds that are earmarked for traditionally
marginalized student populations. There will continue to be challenges to securing stable funding
and resources. However, based on the research participant responses, it appears that colleges are
exploring every available avenue to secure these resources in order to better support
undocumented students.
Subtheme: Need for Increased K-12 and Postsecondary Collaboration
Four research participants indicated that one of the factors hampering their ability to
provide services to DACA students and Dreamers is a lack of collaboration and communication
with local high schools and other postsecondary institutions. Given the challenges in identifying
DACA students in a postsecondary setting, participants argued that reaching these students
before they stepped foot on campus would ease their transition and allow the college to connect
them with available support services earlier in their college careers.
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First and foremost, I think we would work closely with our high schools and we would
have kind of a warm handoff between undocumented students at our local high schools
and we would have a liaison that would help onboard them to the college, right, so kind
of that access key. – Dr. Morris, Vice President of Student Services, Alderaan City
College
They also pointed to a lack of collaboration with other colleges to help them develop best
practices. They pointed to a number of reasons for this lack of collaboration. First, college
administrations play a key role in defining the mission and priorities of an institution. They
argued that having an administration that did not actively engage on this issue makes it
challenging to address needs of undocumented students. Second, they candidly indicated that
many colleges are struggling with defining their role, if any, in providing undocumented students
with supports that varied from those any other students would receive. They indicated because of
the sensitive nature of the issue and the various approaches colleges have adopted, there were
inherent challenges with adopting another institution’s strategies in relation to providing support
for undocumented students. However, one participant shared that this has led to frustration
because it leaves them without any colleagues to call upon for support or guidance.
So that these students can move through the pipeline very, very seamlessly and get from
one Dream Center to the next Dream Center to the next Dream Center, if that makes
sense. Where there is a huge drop off, if you will, going from one institution to the other.
We'd like to be introduced to who those people are before they get to their campuses so
that there are familiar faces when they do show up on that campus. It's like, oh, there you
are. – Dean Fields, Endor Canyon College
Running Head: DACA STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES 65
Two participants indicated that upcoming professional conferences and statewide
workgroups could provide increased communication in this area and lead to collaborative efforts.
They also believed that these efforts could help lead to the development of best practices that
colleges could adopt as they develop their respective initiatives and support systems.
Theme 4: Board of Trustees Participation
During the course of data collection, I refined a question about the involvement of the
Board of Trustees in any college process aimed at supporting DACA and Dreamer students. This
question was refined as a result of previous responses from research participants that provided
insight into the different levels of engagement from various Boards of Trustees. The revision of
this question followed the constant comparative approach that allows researchers to expand on
interview questions in order to address an emerging theme (Corbin & Strauss, 2008). The
question added to the interview protocol was:
Can you please describe any involvement or participation, if any, your local Board of
Trustees has had on the issue of DACA students or Dreamers?
Even before the addition of this question, research participants volunteered that there had
been varying levels of participation from their respective Boards of Trustees. Participants
provided various explanations for these different levels of engagement. However, participants
consistently indicated that participation from their respective Board of Trustees was minimal and
often limited to broad statements of support echoing statements already made by the
Chancellor’s Office. Five research participants indicated they felt their Boards of Trustees only
became involved in the discussions around DACA students after internal pressure from various
college stakeholders such as the Academic Senate and student leadership groups.
Running Head: DACA STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES 66
And then they said, why isn't the board of trustees drafting one? And our president was
hesitant. I don't think he thought that they wanted to do that, the board of trustees did not
want to. And so he was like, no, no. He hired an attorney to do a what happens if
immigration agents show up on campus? So then we had a protocol developed. Which
said, if ICE shows up on campus, send them to the office of the president. And then he
will make sure that their documents are real. Or, you know, that they have a purpose to be
on campus. So he kind of delayed the attention from the campus asking, why isn't the
board of trustees doing a resolution? We've all did one. So then the academic senate
asked the academic senate president to ask the board of trustees in a board meeting, why
aren't you doing a resolution? We've all done a resolution in support of our students? And
then the board did a resolution. So there was unanimous, you know, from board of
trustees to faculty, classified and associated students. – Dr. Peters, Vice President of
Student Services, Tatooine College
Six research participants indicated that though participation of the Board of Trustees was
not necessary to implement programs for DACA students and Dreamers, it would have aided in
the development of a supportive college culture. The general consensus among participants was
that their respective Boards of Trustees did little to move the college and/or district towards a
more undocu-friendly culture. Administrators described feelings of frustration due to the lack of
support from their governing body and a feeling that any supports that emerged from college-
wide decisions would not be met with support should concerns be brought to the Board of
Trustees.
The different constituent groups were upset with the Board, because it took so long to
come out in support of the DACA students. They just wasn't as immediate as some
Running Head: DACA STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES 67
people wanted it to be. So as I was sitting here, recollecting, that did kind of dawn on me,
because I was like, why did people keep coming to the Board? But it was because they
did not come out so clear. And clear cut to say yes, we are supporting the students, and
we're willing to do X, Y and Z. – Dr. Richards, Vice President of Student Services,
College of Coruscant
There were various opinions on why Boards of Trustees were reticent to actively engage
on this topic. Four participants indicated that the political nature of the position and ties to the
entire community could have served as an obstacle. Representing an entire community, whose
citizens likely hold competing opinions on the support for undocumented students, likely made it
challenging for Boards to speak on such a divisive issue. Three participants indicated that it was
simply outside the scope of the Board of Trustees to dictate how colleges should run operations
or prioritize resources.
An administrator at Dagobah City College presented a unique change that has occurred
over time. He indicated that increased diversity on their respective Board made it easier for
Board members to recognize the scope of this issue, its impact on undocumented students, and
their potential role in creating a welcoming environment.
Our Board of Trustees give this from what it used to be back in the days where the
support was not as strong as it is now and I think that has a lot to do with the diversity of
the Board of Trustees now as a background. And I think that's what has helped a lot too,
overall. So it's -- you know for us it's definitely a plus. And for the students, you know it's
been very, very -- it's made a difference. – Dr. Munoz, Dagobah City College
Two research participants differed from the general consensus of the other colleges
involved in this study. They found their Boards of Trustees to be as proactive as their scope
Running Head: DACA STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES 68
allowed. This included providing unsolicited statements of support for DACA students and
engagement with college level administrators to ensure the needs of undocumented students were
being met.
One of the board members that was elected [inaudible] Dreamers finding out what we did
and started, developed a task force for the district that all the colleges have a Dream
Resource Center. So that was really great. – Dr. Evans, Vice President of Student
Services, Hoth Hills College
It was evident through the participant responses that while Boards of Trustees play large
roles in the strategic planning of districts and colleges, their role in the development of support
systems for DACA students and Dreamers is somewhat limited. Even so, it would appear that
most research participants wished their Boards had done more to champion the needs of
undocumented students during a time when those students feared for their safety and the safety
of their families.
Theme 5: DACA and Dreamers College “Champion”
One of the most interesting findings was that seven of the nine research participants were
able to identify a single individual who they felt was most responsible for the eventual
development of a support program for DACA and Dreamer students. Unprompted by a research
question, they often referred to these individuals as “champions” of the cause for DACA students
and Dreamers. They provided specific examples of how these individuals worked within their
respective college systems to enact change and bring about support for this student population.
I think, like with a lot of programs that we have at the college that would support our
historically-marginalized students, it usually starts with champions. That there are, you
know, a couple of people that are not necessarily because it is their job, but it is their
Running Head: DACA STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES 69
passion and interest, and really sort of the justice lens of how do we support the students,
that started the support for the DACA students. It was really a group of champions in
student services, and a couple of faculty members as well that would get together to talk
about how do we support our students, our undocumented students, and our DACA
students– Dr. Michaels, Vice President of Student Services, College of Naboo
The champions described by research participants came from various stakeholder groups
at the college. They included faculty members, administrators, staff members and students. In
some cases, the original champions identified a small group of likeminded supporters at their
college. They then worked with these individuals to build consensus and move towards offering
tangible support services for students.
In each case, the individual identified as a champion was not compensated for this extra
work and instead chose to take it on after identifying what they perceived to be a gap in the
college’s efforts to support undocumented students. They often navigated strategic planning
processes such as Academic Senates and budget advisory meetings in order to garner support for
their efforts.
I think part of it was just the discussion of faculty and staff and EOPS, also our outreach
department, and a little bit of student affairs. But then also College 6 has a Latin X
Alliance for faculty and staff. And so there was discussion there as well because I know
when we had all of the issues with you know the, you know, current administration's
threat on removing you know those opportunities for our Dream students then you know
it was a lot of them meeting and discussing and having a support for students. – Dean
Gary, Kamino Community College
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Participants described the work of the college champions as being essential in building
campus-wide consensus for institutionalized support. They indicated that these champions often
did not have a specific goal in mind. They just recognized the college was not doing everything it
could to provide support to undocumented students. The eventual support systems that were
established came about after they worked to shine a light on the larger issue.
You know, to be honest with you, we had just the Dean, who is very, very
compassionate, and decided that she wanted to take the task force on. She solicited a, I
want to say a [inaudible] all, to ask people if they were interested. I know she also
reached out to our faculty and staff members. Some of our counselors. To see if they
wanted to be a part of a task force. So I want to say it's 15 to 20 plus members on a
DACA Task Force, and they meet on at least monthly basis. – Dr. Richards, Vice
President of Student Services, College of Coruscant
All seven participants who highlighted a college champion spoke positively of their
respective supportive colleague and stressed the impact of their efforts on college-wide
approaches to supporting undocumented students. However, there was also recognition that if
those individuals had not been on their campuses, it was likely that their institutions would have
significantly delayed discussions on how best to support this student population. These concerns
seem to reflect the fragile nature of institutional supports for DACA students who are already
struggling to gain clarity on their immigration status. While college champions have provided a
great service to these students and their institutions, they also highlight the fact that colleges
might over rely on single individuals or small groups of individuals to act as advocates for a
marginalized student population.
Running Head: DACA STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES 71
Document Analysis
Document analysis provides the opportunity for researchers to verify information shared
during interviews. A thorough review also adds context and depth to the responses provided
(Merriam & Tisdell, 2015). Document analysis conducted prior to interviews with research
participants allows for more specific follow-up questions and provides the researcher with
context for the responses being given. This method also aids in the triangulation of data which
helps ensure validity of the research and its recorded outcomes (Merriam & Tisdell, 2015)
For the purpose of this study, documents reviewed included college websites, college
strategic plans, equity plans submitted to the California Community College Chancellor’s Office,
emails directed to college stakeholders regarding the college’s approach to support its DACA
and Dreamer students, as well as other documents provided by research participants that
provided insight into their respective college’s approach to serving this student population.
Efforts were taken to protect the confidentiality of participants in this study in the presentation of
the document analysis.
Figure 5. Institutional Support (9 research participants)
Types of Support Colleges providing this support
Website Information 9
Inclusion in Equity Plan 3
Inclusion in Program Review/Strategic Plans 5
“Dreamer” Center/physical space 6
Faculty and Staff Training 8
Emails to Students/College Community 9
Adoption of Resolution of Support 9
Running Head: DACA STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES 72
Figure 6. Common Forms of Support for DACA Students & Dreamers (9 research
participants)
Types of Support Colleges providing this support
Direct financial assistance 1
Establishment of scholarships 2
Legal Aid 8
DACA reapplication fee waiver/support 5
Book vouchers 1
Food vouchers 2
Member Checking
Member checking, or respondent validation, is a process that allows researchers to
improve the accuracy of their findings by providing research participants with opportunities to
give feedback on how their responses were summarized and reported (Creswell, 1994). This
process can increase the internal validity of a study. This process of triangulating the data is
essential in order to accurately reflect the responses provided by research participants (Merriam
& Tisdell, 2015).
In this study, research participants were given two opportunities to provide feedback. The
first opportunity was during the interview process where their responses were regularly
summarized and they were asked to reflect if their intentions were accurately captured. The
second opportunity came at the completion of the data analysis. Each research participant was
emailed a draft copy of the research findings and provided an opportunity to either provide
feedback affirming that the findings accurately reflected their responses or provide feedback
indicating that the findings were incomplete or misrepresented their interview statements. Only
three research participants responded to this follow-up inquiry. In all three responses, research
participants indicated that the findings accurately reflected their interview responses.
Running Head: DACA STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES 73
Chapter Five: Summary, Implications, Limitations, and Conclusion
Summary
Many of the responses given by research participants directly addressed the underlying
original research questions of this study. It is important to note that due to the qualitative nature
of this study, their responses and the themes that emerged from this study cannot be generalized
to a larger population (Merriam & Tisdell, 2015). However, even with this limitation, the
responses provided insight into how these colleges responded to the needs of DACA students
and Dreamers on their respective campuses.
Participant responses provided a general overview of the support services adopted or
created by community colleges to address the needs of DACA students and Dreamers. Responses
seemed to indicate that tangible services such as financial aid, scholarships and legal aid were
difficult to provide in a sustainable manner. Much of the support was geared towards leveraging
existing services or working towards building a supportive college culture.
Interview responses also seemed to provide varied rationale for the implementation of
these supports at the different college sites. These responses ranged from an institutional desire
to address identified gaps for undocumented students, to a direct response to the Trump
administration’s rhetoric and actions impacting these students. In almost all cases, concern for
student safety and a desire to support the needs of undocumented students was noted by
participants.
The third research question sought to understand how colleges perceived their
institutional responsibility to provide services to DACA students. Using Bolman and Deal’s
organizational research as a framework for the participant responses, perceptions of institutional
responsibility varied based on the different circumstances being addressed. Institutions adopted
Running Head: DACA STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES 74
each of the four frames at various points in the process of developing support systems for DACA
students and Dreamers. Based on the responses, the most commonly adopted frame was the
Human Resources frame, which seeks to reflect an organizational priority of care (Bolman &
Deal, 2008). However, the Structural, Political, and Symbolic frames were also adopted at
various points by research participants. These frames were utilized depending on the needs of the
college in relation to its ongoing efforts to develop sustainable support systems for
undocumented students.
Implications for Practice
Based on the themes that emerged from this study and a review of the relevant literature
on DACA and undocumented students, there are clear implications for practice in postsecondary
settings. Some of these implications can be enacted immediately such as the provision of
professional development opportunities to staff and faculty. Most, however, will require
sustained work over a period of time in order to ensure their effectiveness. These include the
building of collaborative efforts between postsecondary institutions and K-12 systems, and
identifying and providing sustainable financial support for undocumented students. Finally, in
order to build on this research it will be critical for future studies to include the voices of
Dreamers and DACA students in their studies. Their voices can provide insight into how
postsecondary institutions can effectively advocate on their behalf.
Professional Development
Research participants frequently discussed the need for ongoing professional
development of staff and faculty at their respective institutions. Based on the feedback from
these participants, as well as the fluid nature of DACA as an executive order, it would be
appropriate for community colleges to provide ongoing training to all stakeholders. Many of the
Running Head: DACA STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES 75
participants who described their current training efforts indicated that those efforts had helped
create undocu-friendly cultures on their campuses. Many of these trainings, which were similar
to safe-zone Ally trainings were created using best-practices approaches to serving
undocumented students. However, there is little literature available on how to appropriately and
effectively respond to the needs of this student population. The trainings described by the
participants in this study were often created by college champions or individuals at the college
most equipped to speak on the needs of these students.
It is important that this training be offered regularly and to all college stakeholders. Many
of the research participants indicated that the role of supporting DACA students and Dreamers
was an institution-wide responsibility. However, the trainings were not mandatory and were
often provided as a one-time training module. Further, most of the professional development
offered was done internally by the college. Faculty and staff were not provided with resources to
attend conferences and training specific to this population.
In order to build a college-wide culture undocu-friendly culture, professional
development in the area of DACA, immigration reform, and best practices for community
colleges need to be embedded in this process. The changing nature of immigration reform makes
regular professional development a necessity if colleges hope to appropriately support this
student population through any changes that may occur.
Collaboration among postsecondary institutions and K-12 education
A number of research participants indicated that a lack of collaboration between high
schools and community colleges made efforts to support DACA students and Dreamers more
difficult. These challenges persisted as students transferred from the community college system
to different four-year colleges and universities.
Running Head: DACA STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES 76
Many needs of DACA students could be addressed by the establishment of stronger
pipelines for undocumented students entering the community college system. If utilized early
enough, these pipelines can reduce the need for ad-hoc emergency intervention strategies from
the community colleges. These pipelines could also have a positive impact on the retention rate
of undocumented students. This retention data has been difficult to track at the California
community colleges. However, research indicates that undocumented students across the country
are at higher risk of dropping out of college (Cadenas, Bernstein, & Tracey, 2018). Increased
collaboration in this area can help reverse this trend.
Community colleges should work to establish pipelines for DACA students and
Dreamers at both the entry point into community colleges and at the point they leave the
institutions. In practice, this would first require working with local high schools to establish a
line of communication between administrative colleagues. These colleagues could work together
to connect graduating students with information about the support systems that they can access
once enrolling in the community college system. It will also require creating relationships with
transfer institutions so that self-identified DACA students and Dreamers can seamlessly
transition to their next educational step and be provided with all available resources upon their
enrollment into that college or university.
Sustainable support
As detailed in this research, many colleges struggled with creating sustainable support
systems for undocumented students. This has been exacerbated by the moving target of
immigration reform in the United States. Because DACA was put in place as a presidential
executive order, there is a lack of clarity on how long the program will continue to exist.
Colleges are understandably wary about investing substantial resources into a support structure
Running Head: DACA STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES 77
that may need to be completely revamped or removed entirely should immigration legislation be
introduced. However, while there has been little movement in the area of immigration reform
and specifically, DACA, there is still a need to support existing students in the community
college system.
Practitioners need to identify sustainable financial and physical resources that will
support the needs of undocumented students on their campuses. Any long-term support plan will
need as much stability as possible to remain viable. While grants and categorical funds can form
the initial funding source for programs aimed at supporting DACA students and Dreamers, they
are subject to timelines, have restrictions, and do not provide the long-term stability colleges
need to institutionalize a support system.
The efforts colleges and universities have made to seek out funding to support these
students have been worthwhile and impressive. In many cases, colleges have rallied community
support to aid in their efforts. However, without consistent and sustainable support, any
developed programs would be at risk to changes in funding or administrative priorities.
Providing sustainable support also helps maintain an undocu-friendly culture through staffing
and administrative changes.
Student Voices in Development of Support Systems
As colleges and universities develop support systems for undocumented students, they
should seek to actively engage these students in the process. This engagement can help inform
the college administration as to what gaps they have yet to recognize at their institutions. It can
also serve to build an inclusive culture where undocumented students feel comfortable coming
forward to share their concerns and needs.
Running Head: DACA STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES 78
Given the relative lack of professional development opportunities that address the needs
of DACA students and Dreamers, these efforts can have a substantial positive impact. Including
students in this dialogue would help fill in the gaps for college stakeholders working to develop
meaningful support systems.
Limitations
Given the limited scope of this research, there were limitations that could be addressed in
future iterations of similar studies.
One limitation was the exclusion of four-year colleges and universities in this study.
Though the original intent of the study was to identify how community colleges were responding
to the needs of DACA students and Dreamers, the role of four-year colleges and universities was
mentioned extensively by research participants as being a critical component in this process.
Future studies should include these postsecondary settings in order to provide a broader answer
to the question of how postsecondary settings are aligned or differ in how they respond to the
needs of this student population. Further, it would benefit practitioners who work to develop
bridges between community colleges and four-year institutions, particularly as it relates to
transfer pathways.
A second limitation to this study was the specific focus on colleges which met enrollment
criteria of at least 12,500. This component of the research design was intentional and based on
literature that suggested most DACA students attend larger, urban area community colleges
(Conger & Chellman, 2013). However, it would have been informative to understand how
smaller community colleges are addressing the needs of DACA students. It would also have been
interesting to examine how smaller colleges perceived their responsibility to provide supports for
this student population when their resources are typically more limited than those of larger
Running Head: DACA STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES 79
institutions. Including smaller community colleges in the study would have also allowed for an
examination of the differences and similarities between large and small colleges in their undocu-
friendly institutional approaches.
In this study, there was an intentional effort to interview Vice Presidents of Student
Services working within community colleges. The rationale behind this research design was that
in most community colleges, these administrators have oversight of financial aid, enrollment
services, and other student services offices. These areas of the college are most likely to develop
and provide supports for undocumented students (Suarez-Orozco, et al. 2015). However, it
would be beneficial in future research to include the voices of various stakeholders on campus
such as other administrators, faculty, staff and students. This would help provide insight into the
culture of an institution as it relates to its support for addressing the needs of DACA students and
Dreamers. While the Vice Presidents of Student Services interviewed in this study provided
significant information on their respective college’s approaches to serving undocumented
students, hearing other voices from the colleges would have helped provide a broader picture of
institutional priorities. This study was framed by Bolman and Deal’s (2008) research or
organizational structures. Including various stakeholders would have allowed for a more
thorough review of how an entire institution perceived their role in addressing the needs of this
student population.
One of the limitations of this research was the lack of student voices. This study was
focused on the administrative and institutional approaches to serving DACA students and
Dreamers. However, future research should include the perceptions of the students these
approaches are intended to benefit. There will likely be challenges to capturing student voices in
a research study. Undocumented students could be less likely to come forward due to fears that
Running Head: DACA STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES 80
their immigration status will be released (Teranishi, Suarez-Orozco, & Suarez-Orozco, 2015).
However, capturing students’ perceptions of existing support systems would help college
administrators better understand if their efforts are appropriately addressing the needs of this
population.
Another limitation was the relative small sample size of participants. There are 114
community colleges in California. This study presented the perspectives of nine of these
institutions. While interviewing a much larger number of participants may not have been
feasible, this study could have been enhanced with a survey that provided other colleges the
opportunity to provide their feedback on how their colleges were addressing the needs of
undocumented students. This could have allowed for comparisons between the participating
institutions and perhaps led to the emergence of different themes that were not captured in this
study.
Conclusion
It is estimated that there could be up to 60,000 DACA-eligible students currently in the
California Community College system (Migration Policy Institute, 2018). Given the large
number of California community college students currently under DACA protections, it will be
critical for colleges to develop support systems for this population. How colleges choose to
develop these systems will provide insight into the organizational priorities and lens they
adopted through this process. This study sought to understand how California community
colleges were responding to the unique needs of this student population. More importantly, it
sought to understand the motivation and driving forces behind the types and levels of support
offered. Specifically, it sought to address the following questions:
Running Head: DACA STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES 81
What support services were adopted or created by community colleges to address the
needs of DACA students?
Why were these services and policies adopted?
How do colleges understand their role in providing support for DACA students?
The findings in this study seem to reiterate much of the current available literature on
how postsecondary settings are responding to the needs of undocumented students on their
campuses (Vengas, et al., 2017). Community colleges in California are in a very unique position
at a very unique time in our nation’s history. The lack of comprehensive immigration reform,
and the untenable nature of President Obama’s DACA executive order have forced colleges to
consider ways they can provide support to undocumented students on their campuses. These
efforts have taken on a heightened purpose with the negative rhetoric aimed at immigrants from
the Trump administration.
The findings in this study highlighted the perspectives of a number of colleges as they
have worked to develop supports for undocumented students on their campuses. It also
highlighted the institutional culture that guided their efforts. As the narrative illustrated, their
approaches and strategies were often similar but met with different results. The college
administrators who participated in this study are reflective of a much larger collective of
administrators, faculty and staff across the state who are working to ensure that DACA students
and Dreamers have access to their education and a pathway to a brighter future. Their work is
being informed by literature that is often in short supply due to the challenges of researching this
population.
This study utilized the framework of Bolman and Deal’s (2008) organizational
frameworks research. The colleges involved in this study provided significant information on
Running Head: DACA STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES 82
how their respective colleges had adopted various approaches to address this issue based on the
identified need. More than any other frame, the participants’ responses reflected the adoption of
a human resources focus. These colleges made the intentional choice to view undocumented
students as members of their community who were caught up in a political firestorm that was not
of their making. Even taking into account the multitude of tangible resources and supports made
available to this student population, it was clear that adopting a culture of care was perhaps the
most important and guiding principle for the research participants. As other community colleges
continue to build upon existing programs or develop new supports for DACA students and
Dreamers, the institutional culture guiding those efforts will have the most significant impact on
their effectiveness.
Running Head: DACA STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES 83
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coalition through shared ideology. Social Problems, 61(2), 155-174.
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concerning undocumented immigrant youth and young adults. Harvard Educational
Review, 85(3), 518-525.
Gonzales, R. G., & Bautista-Chavez, A. (2014). Two years and counting: Assessing the growing
power of DACA. Immigration Policy Center.
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Contextualizing concepts of mental health among undocumented immigrant youth in the
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an anti-immigrant environment: The perspectives of first- and second-generation youth
and parents. Journal of Family Issues, 37(4), 494-519.
Haslett, C. (2018, 5 March). Dreamers protest on capitol hill on DACA deadline day. ABC News.
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Hesse, E. (2017). Recruiting undocumented students: A qualitative analysis of college
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admissions counselors' experiences. College and University, 92(2), 2-11.
Hooker, S., McHugh, M., & Mathay, A. (2015). Lessons from the local level: DACA's
implementation and impact on education and training success. Migration Policy Institute.
Hope, E. C., Keels, M., & Durkee, M. I. (2016). Participation in black lives matter and deferred
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Huber, L. P., Villanueva, B. P., Guarneros, N., Vélez, V. N., & Solórzano, D. G. (2014).
DACAmented in California: The impact of the deferred action for childhood arrivals
program on Latina/os. CSRC research report. no. 18. UCLA Chicano Studies Research
Center. 193 Haines Hall, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1544.
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Neuman, S. (2018, 25 April). Federal judge upholds DACA, calling white house decicion to
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Patel, P. (2017). Are DACA students still safe to stay? New England Journal of Higher
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Appendix A: Interview Solicitation Email
Sample Email Solicitation
Hello _____________,
I hope you're doing well.
I am reaching out to request your participation in my dissertation research. I am in the final year
of my EdD program at USC. My research topic is looking at the supports available to DACA
students within the community college system. I was hoping to be able to speak with VP's or
Deans of Student Services who would likely build and oversee the services available to these
students.
If possible, I would greatly appreciate about an hour of your time for a brief interview discussing
these questions. The interview can be in person, over the phone, or via skype. I want to be as
flexible as possible to your availability and needs.
If you are interested in participating, please feel free to contact me via email or phone at (626)
664-1229. At the conclusion of my research, all colleges which participated in my study will
receive a copy of the findings (along my sincere gratitude!).
I recognize you are likely very busy and your time may be limited. If you feel there is someone
else at __________ College who would be equally equipped to address these questions, please
feel free to send them my information and this invitation to participate.
Thanks for your consideration!
Greg
Greg Ferrer
Director, Disability Resource Center
Riverside City College
P: (951) 222-8508
F: (951) 222-8059
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Appendix B: Research Interview Protocol 1
1. Can you please share your name, your position title at the college, and the areas of the
college that you oversee or manage?
2. How long have you been in this particular position?
3. How many DACA students are estimated to attend (enter college name)?
4. What areas of the college are responsible for addressing the needs of DACA students?
5. How are the needs of these students identified?
6. What would you consider the biggest needs for these students at this college?
7. What process did the college undertake to identify the needs of DACA students?
8. Have there been efforts to provide training to faculty, staff and administrators on how
best to support these students?
a. (probe) What did that training look like?
b. (probe) How was it received?
9. What efforts has the college made to provide support for DACA students?
10. What do you see as the biggest areas of need the college has yet to address for this
population?
11. How would you describe the college’s approach and philosophy to addressing the needs
of DACA students?
12. Have any efforts been effective at addressing these students’ needs?
a. (probe) If so, which ones?
b. (probe) How was effectiveness measured?
13. What college resources have been utilized to support these students?
Running Head: DACA STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES 93
14. How have you seen the college’s role in supporting these students change over the years
since DACA was first enacted?
15. Do you anticipate changes in the types and level of supports offered to DACA students?
a. (probe) If so, what will those changes look like?
16. What do you wish the college could offer that it currently does not?
17. In an ideal world, what would support for DACA students look like on this campus?
a. (probe) How close do you feel you are to that ideal?
Final Question: Is there anything I didn’t ask that you would like to share about (fill in college)
efforts to support DACA students?
Running Head: DACA STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES 94
Appendix C: Research Interview Protocol 2
1. Can you please share your name, your position title at the college, and the areas of the
college that you oversee or manage?
2. How long have you been in this particular position?
3. How many DACA students are estimated to attend (enter college name)?
4. What areas of the college are responsible for addressing the needs of DACA students?
5. How are the needs of these students identified?
6. What would you consider the biggest needs for these students at this college?
7. What process did the college undertake to identify the needs of DACA students?
8. Have there been efforts to provide training to faculty, staff and administrators on how
best to support these students?
a. (probe) What did that training look like?
b. (probe) How was it received?
9. What efforts has the college made to provide support for DACA students?
10. What do you see as the biggest areas of need the college has yet to address for this
population?
11. How would you describe the college’s approach and philosophy to addressing the needs
of DACA students?
12. Has the rhetoric and language coming from the Trump administration on the topic of
DACA influenced how your college addressed this student population?
a. (probe) If so, how?
13. Have any efforts been effective at addressing these students’ needs?
a. (probe) If so, which ones?
Running Head: DACA STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES 95
b. (probe) How was effectiveness measured?
14. What college resources have been utilized to support these students?
15. How have you seen the college’s role in supporting these students change over the years
since DACA was first enacted?
16. Do you anticipate changes in the types and level of supports offered to DACA students?
a. (probe) If so, what will those changes look like?
17. What do you wish the college could offer that it currently does not?
18. In an ideal world, what would support for DACA students look like on this campus?
a. (probe) How close do you feel you are to that ideal?
Final Question: Is there anything I didn’t ask that you would like to share about (fill in college)
efforts to support DACA students?
Running Head: DACA STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES 96
Appendix D: Research Interview Protocol 3
1. Can you please share your name, your position title at the college, and the areas of the
college that you oversee or manage?
2. How long have you been in this particular position?
3. How many DACA students are estimated to attend (enter college name)?
4. What areas of the college are responsible for addressing the needs of DACA students?
5. How are the needs of these students identified?
6. What would you consider the biggest needs for these students at this college?
7. What process did the college undertake to identify the needs of DACA students?
8. Have there been efforts to provide training to faculty, staff and administrators on how
best to support these students?
a. (probe) What did that training look like?
b. (probe) How was it received?
9. What efforts has the college made to provide support for DACA students?
10. What do you see as the biggest areas of need the college has yet to address for this
population?
11. How would you describe the college’s approach and philosophy to addressing the needs
of DACA students?
12. Can you please describe any involvement or participation, if any, your local Board of
Trustees has had on the issue of DACA students or Dreamers?
13. Has the rhetoric and language coming from the Trump administration on the topic of
DACA influenced how your college addressed this student population?
a. (probe) If so, how?
Running Head: DACA STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES 97
14. Have any efforts been effective at addressing these students’ needs?
a. (probe) If so, which ones?
b. (probe) How was effectiveness measured?
15. What college resources have been utilized to support these students?
16. How have you seen the college’s role in supporting these students change over the years
since DACA was first enacted?
17. Do you anticipate changes in the types and level of supports offered to DACA students?
a. (probe) If so, what will those changes look like?
18. What do you wish the college could offer that it currently does not?
19. In an ideal world, what would support for DACA students look like on this campus?
a. (probe) How close do you feel you are to that ideal?
Final Question: Is there anything I didn’t ask that you would like to share about (fill in college)
efforts to support DACA students?
Running Head: DACA STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES 98
Appendix E: Member Checking Follow-Up Email
Sample Member Checking Email
Hello __________,
I hope you're doing great. I wanted to thank you again for supporting my research efforts as I
complete my doctoral studies. Your time and feedback were invaluable to my process and I
would not have been able to finish it without you. I am wrapping up Chapter 5 and when I
complete the entire dissertation I'll pass it along. Until then, I wanted to share my Chapter 4, as
promised, so you can see how I gathered my research and identified the themes from my
interviews.
If you have any feedback or you feel I've left anything out, please feel free to contact me. I want
to ensure that your feelings and perspectives were accurately described in my findings.
I just wanted to extend my sincere gratitude again. One of the greatest feelings about this entire
process was seeing how many colleagues from around the state just jumped at the chance to help
me. There was just sincere care for the topic I was researching and a desire to help out a fellow
colleague. I can't express how appreciative I am that you found time in your schedule to speak
with me and help me finish my educational and professional goal.
I hope you have a great rest of the semester and thanks again,
Greg
Greg Ferrer
Director, Disability Resource Center
Norco College
P: (951) 372-7070
F: (951) 222-7189
Video Phone: (951) 547-1178
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Appendix F: California Community College Chancellor’s Office Statement
MEDIA STATEMENT September 5, 2017
Contact: Paige Marlatt
Dorr Office:
916.327.5356
Cell: 916.601.8005
Office E-mail: pdorr@cccco.edu
California Community Colleges Chancellor Eloy Ortiz
Oakley’s Statement on the Trump Administration’s Action to End
DACA for Dreamers
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – California Community Colleges Chancellor Eloy Ortiz Oakley issued the following
statement on the Trump administration’s action to end DACA:
“Ending DACA is a heartless and senseless decision that goes against American ideals
and basic human decency. Those who are affected by this decision were brought to this
country as children and are pursuing an education and making contributions to their
communities. Some have served in the armed forces defending this country. In
California, we don’t put dreams -- or Dreamers -- on hold. The California Community
Colleges remain committed to serving all students, regardless of immigration status, and
to providing safe and welcoming environments in which to learn. We will do all within
our power to assist students affected by this decision, and we will advocate tirelessly in
Congress for a permanent resolution to this issue.”
The California Community Colleges is the largest system of higher education in the nation composed of 72
districts and 114 colleges serving 2.1 million students per year. Community colleges supply workforce training,
basic skills education in English and math, and prepares students for transfer to four-year institutions. The
Chancellor’s Office provides leadership, advocacy and support under the direction of the Board of Governors of
the California Community Colleges. For more information about the community colleges, please visit
Running Head: DACA STUDENTS IN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY COLLEGES 100
http://californiacommunitycolleges.cccco.edu/, https://www.facebook.com/CACommColleges, or
https://twitter.com/CalCommColleges.
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Asset Metadata
Creator
Ferrer, Gregory Lopez
(author)
Core Title
Big dreams: a multi-case examination of institutional support for DACA students in California community colleges
School
Rossier School of Education
Degree
Doctor of Education
Degree Program
Education (Leadership)
Publication Date
07/29/2019
Defense Date
07/22/2019
Publisher
University of Southern California
(original),
University of Southern California. Libraries
(digital)
Tag
California,community college,DACA,Dreamer,Higher education,immigration,OAI-PMH Harvest,postsecondary,Trump,undocumented
Format
application/pdf
(imt)
Language
English
Contributor
Electronically uploaded by the author
(provenance)
Advisor
Cole, Darnell (
committee chair
), Carry, Ainsley (
committee member
), Hinga, Briana (
committee member
)
Creator Email
glferrer@usc.edu,greg.ferrer@usc.edu
Permanent Link (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-c89-200542
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etd-FerrerGreg-7679.pdf (filename),usctheses-c89-200542 (legacy record id)
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Ferrer, Gregory Lopez
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Tags
community college
DACA
Dreamer
postsecondary
Trump
undocumented