LBCC undocumented student club members speak out about new immigration laws alongside a proposal about a “DREAM” center to be built on campus to protect migrant students and offer more resources.
The California Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act (DREAM) has provided undocumented students with financial and university aid for about six years and all undocumented students should be protected under the Family Educational Rights Privacy Act (FERPA).
There has been a proposal to LBCC about building a DREAM center on campus for all students who are a part of the DREAM program.
Having a DREAM center could provide a number of resources for migrant students, however, it has not been decided whether or not it will be built according to members of the undocumented students club.
President Donald Trump has enacted many changes as a result of his recent inauguration, including an influx of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE) raids in numerous states and cities, creating an overall sense of fear in many communities.
“It’s not right our families are getting torn apart and there isn’t much we could do about it, we don’t have the authority,” said LBCC student and secretary of the Undocumented Students club, Jesus Bernabed.
Advocating for LBCC students, President Mike Munoz sent out emails on Nov. 6, 2024 to students post-election saying that LBCC will not honor immigration holds and will not work with any federal agencies or law enforcement.
A new immigration law, the Laken Riley Act, was signed by Trump which mandates the federal detention of any migrants who have come to the country illegally who have been charged with a crime such as theft, burglary, assaulting a law enforcement officer, or any crime that causes death or serious bodily injury.
Students speak about their worries, fears, and thoughts in terms of how LBCC plans to help.
“I feel it’s not many resources for undocumented students at LBCC, they are trying their best to make LBCC inclusive for us, their slogan is ‘you belong’ and over the years it wasn’t many of us but we’ve been growing, it’s been a positive change,” said Bernabed.
The Undocumented Students Club was started by their President Melany Murrillo and fellow member Bernabed in 2023.
“LBCC needs to support undocumented students more than ever and mental health workshops would be more than effective, but specifically putting money into a DREAM center will change the perspective of how undocumented students feel. Many undocumented students don’t open up about their social status which deters them from scholarships/opportunities just because they’re scared and a DREAM center will show us that we are accepted, helping us in the long run,” Murillo said
There are some programs to help students or anyone who needs resources about their rights like the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (also known as CHIRLA).
CHIRLA services offer equal protection to immigrants with legal services, and CHIRLA has been around for more than 30 years.
LBCC student, Nadia Aguilar, is also a member of the Undocumented Student club and volunteers for CHIRLA.
“I feel CHIRLA has changed my life and I feel that I wasn’t as open as I am now…This is who I am as a person, yeah I’m an immigrant and I will continue to stick up for my people,” said Aguilar.
Aguilar attended the Fifth Circuit Courts of Appeals in New Orleans in Oct. 2024 which was a case that challenged the Biden administration’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) rule.
DACA is a U.S. immigration policy that allows some undocumented immigrants who arrived in the United States as children to live and work legally in the country.
This left the fate of DACA in the hands of the upcoming Trump administration and allowed DACA to go into effect in every state except Texas.
“We were waiting for the results and it was so heartbreaking to see DACA being shut down like that. The Texas team was so unprepared and they were talking about migrants like we weren’t even there. The judges gave good numbers about how DACA influences the economy and it just wasn’t enough, now with all the raids it just feels scary,” Aguilar said.
LBCC Department of Communications and college advancement personnel have sent out emails of bulletins regarding drop-in hours with mental health clinicians on both campuses, for any students who may be experiencing stress due to federal immigration policies.
“I am recommending that students use this service if they are feeling overwhelmed. We are actively messaging students to make sure they feel validated and President Munoz has been supporting undocumented students. We will not release any information to authorities without a valid subpoena or court order and our students are protected under FERPA,” LBCC DREAM services counselor, Jose Gutierez said.
Many undocumented students attend LBCC, but it is still unclear what LBCC staff is doing to protect them.
“The DREAM center is much needed for students to connect, build community, and feel safe. We are looking for spots on campus already and are talking to senior administrators about this,” Gutierez said.
If any students need resources with these new immigration laws contact CHIRLA at 888-624-4752 or visit https://www.chirla.org/.
You can also contact Immigrant Legal Resource Center by clicking on the link https://www.ilrc.org/community-resources.