The evolving national landscape of higher education (HED) is making the start of this academic year unlike any other. Research grants have been suddenly terminated, universities are battling federal lawsuits, and HED institutions have been pressured to systematically dismantle Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) offices, just to name a few of the stunning attacks on higher education.
Dr. Federick J. Ngo
Raids & Kidnappings
We have all seen the videos. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) states they are only seeking out undocumented “criminals” yet they have found themselves arresting and kidnapping people, including U.S. citizens, in stores, malls, and public parks. Recent immigration raids have also rounded up children and infiltrated previously protected spaces, including hospitals, courtrooms, and places of worship. Could college classrooms be next?
The answer is Yes. We have already seen that immigrant students across the country like Marcelo Gomes da Silva, Alan Pierre, Caroline Dias Goncalves, Mahmoud Khalil, and Rümeysa Öztürk have been detained by ICE. The reality is that high school, undergraduate, and graduate students have been arrested and placed in for-profit detention centers under the current administration. According to thisstatement, DHS has rescinded prior guidelines about ICE avoiding “sensitive” areas like churches and schools.
This is beyond worrisome for people interested in education. Research has already traced the negative impact of immigration raids on youth, including reduced attendance and worse educational outcomes. The health and psychological effects are also profound; substance use disorder, depression, self-harm, suicide attempts, and sexual abuse were found to significantly increase in communities that experienced raids.
Dr. Juanita Hinojosa
While K-12 districts in some areas of the country are actively creating policies such as “safe zones” to support and protect students, higher education institutions have been mostly silent. Are we prepared to act when on-campus raids happen?
Canceled Benefits
The Trump administration continues its anti-immigrant crusade by also going after one of the few educational benefits in place for undocumented students pursuing higher education. Over half of U.S. states have legislation that allows resident students, typically defined as students who attend high school in the state, to qualify for in-state resident tuition (ISRT). ISRT is much cheaper than out-of-state tuition and helps states retain in-state the youth they invested in.
The benefits of allowing undocumented students to qualify for ISRT could not be clearer. Rigorous, quantitative policy research shows significant increases in college enrollment and improved life outcomes for newly-eligible students once states offered ISRT. These benefits trickle up to local communities and broader society, including increased economic activity, civic engagement, and reduced crime.
Trump’s Executive Order issued May 2025 raised a challenge to these policies by insinuating that ISRT for undocumented students is discriminatory to out-of-state U.S. citizens. The administration sued Kentucky, Oklahoma, and Texas over their provision of in-state tuition benefits to undocumented students, and the first-of-its-kind Texas Dream Act (2001) was declared unconstitutional in June, leaving an estimated 60,000 current Texas college students in a quandary for the fall. This policy cancellation is actually just penalizing some of the best students in the country, students who aspire to earn college degrees and be hard-working, contributing community members of their communities.
Are we prepared to support these students as they face steep increases in costs?
DACA Under Attack
When Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) was announced in 2012, the promise of temporary protection from deportation offered undocumented youth some reprieve from uncertainty about their futures. The benefits of DACA have also been clear. The policy led to undocumented youth working harder in their K12 schools, with benefits to their peers, and to increases in college enrollment, employment, and wages that have strengthened families and communities across the nation.
New threats to DACA are another targeted attack on immigrant communities, and may be especially worrisome for undocumented college students. DACA beneficiaries are being encouraged to ‘self-deport’, and Recent DOJ actions also suggest they do not view DACA as a valid form of legal status that protects recipients from deportation.
Are we prepared to support undocumented students when they return to campus with new fears and uncertainty about their future?
Protect and Advocate: Practical Steps
Lawyers and advocates can help to block these unjust actions in court, but it is also important for HED practitioners to be prepared to do what we can in our roles on campus. In light of this turmoil for undocumented college students, we need to consider concrete steps to take and plan for empowering students through resources, advocacy, and critical care. We pose the following questions to help us move from reflection to action, and from passivity to preparedness.
Are we familiar with institutional and community resources for immigrants?
Education is power, and as individuals working in HED, we must understand the resources available and make these readily available. Helping campus communities understand their constitutionally protected rights when interacting with ICE is a first step. For example, ACLU Know Your Rights provides clear information and offers accessible trainings. Additionally, campuses may have institutional resources that support undocumented students, including free legal services and undocumented student support services. If your campus does not offer these, find community and national resources, including non-profit organizations, that students may be able to access. In addition to being familiar with these resources, include this information in course syllabi and programs to ensure students have access to them.
Do we know where ICE is allowed on campus? Do we know what a warrant signed by a judge looks like?
It’s essential to understand the difference between public and nonpublic spaces on campus. For example, while ICE may access some public spaces at institutions, there are areas such as classrooms and residence halls that are considered nonpublic spaces. With this in mind, just as we would not allow a stranger to enter a classroom or residence hall, ICE is not permitted unless they have a signed warrant by a judge. According to the President’s Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, “[w]ithout a judicial warrant, even if ICE presents an order of removal or deportation for a campus community member, the institution is not legally required to grant ICE access to nonpublic spaces or assist ICE in apprehending the individual.” Therefore, it’s also important to be familiar with what an official warrant signed by a judge looks like.
Are we prepared to serve and to advocate for our students?
Our present reality is that immigrant communities are facing an onslaught of cruelty, so we need to reflect critically on ways we can support students in the upcoming year. Here are some suggestions:
- Become familiar with scholarships or resources available for students who may be encountering financial challenges. Establish a fund for those who have lost IRST.
- Advocate for your institution to provide clear guidance and to protect Constitutional rights.
- Attend trainings (such as UndocuAlly) to take action in your local context.
- Consider practicing flexibility with students, particularly as undocumented, DACAmented, and students from mixed status families are facing high levels of psychological and emotional stress.
As educators it is our duty to be fully prepared to support all students. In the case of our undocumented students, knowing what we can do is half the battle. Taking action is the other, and in present times is critically needed.
_______
Dr. Federick J. Ngo is an Associate Professor of Higher Education in the Department of Educational Psychology, Leadership, & Higher Education at University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
Dr. Juanita Hinojosa is a Research Associate at University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
