Undocumented Students Research Articles

Fractured paths: undocumented Latina/o students’ college-going experiences amidst shifting policies

The necessity of a college degree is irrefutable. However, the path to college for undocumented students can be crowded with boulders, steep walls, or altogether non-existent. Drawing on interviews with 25 undocumented Latina/o students and 5 years (2012–2017) of school ethnography, I show that their college-going experiences are framed by the convergence of Hillcrest high school’s college practices and a broader shifting policy context—CA Dream Act 2011, DACA 2012, and CA Dream Loan 2014. I find that a pervasive silence regarding undocumented students’ distinct needs permeates Hillcrest’s college-going practices. This silence mediates the intended benefits of shifting policies by discounting the influence of students’ intersecting social locations (undocumented status, working-class position) as students strive to pursuit a post-secondary education. Undocumented Latina/o high school students’ experiences urge for a reconceptualization of college-going frameworks that account for morphing inequities within educational institutions in the 21st century.

Breaking Down the Wall: The Effect of Immigration Enforcement and Nonprofit Services on Undocumented Student Academic Performance

Abstract Much of public administration and nonprofit research centers on issues of race and gender, but citizenship remains underdeveloped for a variety of reasons, especially due to a lack of data on the undocumented community. The first research aim of this study is to identify how immigration enforcement affects undocumented student performance. The second contribution is to understand the effect of how legal service provision by immigrant-serving nonprofits comes into play. Theoretically, these services work toward helping buffer the negative implications of community arrests and deportations on student performance. We test our theoretical arguments using a unique dataset comprised of student-level performance metrics of 2 million Latino students – including nearly 225,000 undocumented students – in Texas public schools. These data are merged with county and district-level data that reflect the level of immigrant deportations and the presence of immigrant-serving nonprofits (ISOs) in their communities. This research finds that immigration enforcement negatively impacts undocumented student performance. Furthermore, ISOs can help limit these effects and improve educational performance.

Redefining Futures: Resilience and Empowerment Among Latinx DACA College Students in a Politicized Climate

ABSTRACT This study examined the experiences of Latinx DACA college students in the context of a highly politicized climate in the United States, marked by exclusion and xenophobia. The study employed a qualitative research design, which involved conducting interviews with 12 participants to explore how they responded to the exclusionary forces. The findings highlight that despite facing discrimination and microaggressions, the participants actively challenged negative stereotypes and redefined their identities as valuable members of the U.S. In addition, they distanced themselves from the threat of deportation and projected a future in which they continued to contribute to their community. The study emphasizes the significance of understanding and supporting DACA and undocumented students in higher education through faculty training, financial assistance, and the establishment of support programs.

Critical consciousness among undocumented immigrant college students: Responding to cultural stress and psychological distress.

Cultural stress is experienced by undocumented students when they encounter discrimination in higher education and society. In response, undocumented students engage in critical consciousness, while simultaneously experiencing psychological distress. A conceptual model is introduced to describe the links between cultural stress, critical consciousness development, and psychological distress. One hundred seventy-one undocumented college students were recruited to participate in this study and completed measures of cultural stress (discrimination). They also completed measures of psychological distress, critical consciousness, and social justice self-efficacy and outcome expectations. The proposed model was tested for global fit and path analysis in structural equation modeling. Indirect effects were probed to assess the mediating role of critical consciousness and psychological distress. The model fit the data excellently. Greater discrimination was associated with higher critical consciousness, which in turn was associated with elevated social justice self-efficacy and outcome expectations. Additionally, higher discrimination was also linked to greater psychological distress. The link between cultural stress and critical consciousness was not explained by psychological distress. This research expands theory by articulating the adaptive ways undocumented students respond to the conditions that cause cultural stress and psychological distress. This aligns with a growing literature documenting the psychology of undocumented immigrants' activism and advocacy. Findings may inform interventions by higher education institutional agents and research to offset cultural stress and psychological distress. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Mental health help-seeking among Latina/o/x undocumented college students.

Informed by a social-ecological framework, this study nested undocumented students' individual mental health needs within micro-level campus factors and the macro-level immigration policy context to examine how these are associated with undocumented Latina/o/x college students' use of on-campus mental health services. A large-scale survey was administered to 1,277 undocumented college students attending 4-year public universities in California. Only Latina/o/x respondents were included in this study (N = 1,181). Fifty percent of students attended a UC system (n = 589). On average, students were 21.84 years old (SE = .15), and most were women (75.3%, n = 890). Greater level of mental health symptoms and perceived mental health need, and greater use of campus-wide resources and undocumented student services predicted greater likelihood of using on-campus mental health services. Greater perceptions of social exclusion due to the immigration policy context predicted lower use of mental health services. Results indicate that a greater use of resources and an inclusive campus environment, as well as efforts to minimize policy-related feelings of social exclusion, may facilitate undocumented students' professional mental health help-seeking. These findings emphasize the need to take multiple and multi-level ecological factors into account when considering mental health service use, particularly in the case of undocumented immigrants and likely other structurally marginalized groups. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Higher Education Access for Undocumented Students in the United States

Higher Education Access for Undocumented Students in the United States

Inclusive Undergraduate Research Opportunities for Undocumented Students

ABSTRACT Undocumented students in the United States face a number of structural barriers in accessing higher education. While there is growing attention to the need for legal, financial, social and psychological support for undocumented students, less attention is paid to their equitable access to high impact practices, such as undergraduate research opportunities. This article begins by providing a demographic profile of undocumented students in higher education, highlighting their intersectional identities by which their access additionally is racialized and classed. Students then share their personal experiences and reflections attempting to pursue research opportunities and research-related careers. Throughout, we identify both barriers to access and promising practices in their pursuit of university-sponsored opportunities. The article concludes with recommendations on how universities can ensure equitable access for all students.

Supplemental Material for Using Resilience Theory to Examine Undocumented Students’ “Know Your Rights” Family Communication

Supplemental Material for Using Resilience Theory to Examine Undocumented Students’ “Know Your Rights” Family Communication

Using resilience theory to examine undocumented students' "know your rights" family communication.

Prior research has found that to keep their family safe, some undocumented immigrants in the United States engage in "Know Your Rights" family communication-talking to family about their rights, should they be approached by the police or U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Although "Know Your Rights" family communication plays a functional role, this study used resilience theory to examine when such communication can be a promotive factor and a risk factor. To test the hypotheses, we utilized three waves of survey data, with 1-month intervals, from 366 U.S. undocumented college students primarily from Latin America (76% cisgender women; Mage = 22 years, SD = 4.26). Path analysis was employed. We found that "Know Your Rights" family communication at Wave 1 was positively associated with: (a) greater knowledge of how to respond if approached by police or ICE and (b) greater knowledge of how to help their family if detained 1 month later (Wave 2). Through both types of knowledge taken together, "Know Your Rights" family communication was indirectly associated with higher levels of felt safety 2 months later (Wave 3). Nevertheless, through knowledge of how to help family, "Know Your Rights" family communication was also indirectly associated with higher levels of anxiety 2 months later (Wave 3). Given the distribution of "Know Your Rights" information on college campuses, our findings can provide evidence for the utility of such messages, while also potentially identifying when it is associated with higher levels of anxiety. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

From Untapped to Exploited: The Myriad Assets of Undocu/DACAmented Latina/o/x Students in the Midwest

ABSTRACT While undocu/DACAmented students face many challenges in higher education, their lives demonstrate a tremendous amount of motivation, resilience, commitment, and perseverance. The literature on undocumented students has indicated that these students bring a vast array of assets to college – assets that can be used to improve the campus and the experiences of undocu/DACAmented individuals. However, undocu/DACAmented student assets are often undervalued. In this critical qualitative study of testimonios with 15 undocu/DACAmented Latinx collegians, we examine how institutions utilize, underutilize, or exploit these students’ assets to ask at what point acknowledging and recognizing students’ assets turns into exploiting them. Our findings revealed these collegians hold myriad assets and institutions responded to those assets by sometimes acknowledging and rewarding them, failing to acknowledge these assets, or exploiting them. Recommendations for equitable and ethical recognition and collaboration with undocu/DACAmented collegians are provided.

Immigrant students' mental health and intent to persist in college: The role of undocufriendly campus climate.

A plethora of challenges prevents immigrant students, particularly undocumented students, from succeeding in college at the same rate as U.S. citizens. This study drew on national data to operationalize a model based on the undocufriendly campus framework (Suárez-Orozco, Katsiaficas, et al., 2015). A total of 501 immigrant students, including 114 with precarious immigration statuses, completed measures on perceptions of welcoming campus climate, positive mental health, anxiety, and persistence confidence in college. Data were analyzed using path analyses in structural equation modeling. Results suggested that precarious immigration status was linked to lower perceptions of welcoming campus climate, lower positive mental health, and higher anxiety. In turn, welcoming campus climate was linked to higher positive mental health and lower anxiety. The latter mental health variables were predictive of persistence confidence in college. Findings are discussed in relation to federal and campus policies to support immigrant students. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

“Students Want to Feel Safe, Safety Breeds Inclusivity”: How Universities Implement Data Collection Methods for Undocumented Students

“Students Want to Feel Safe, Safety Breeds Inclusivity”: How Universities Implement Data Collection Methods for Undocumented Students

Care that transcends legal citizenship: Teachers advocating for undocumented migrant children

Theoretically framed by caring scholarship in education, the current study aims to provide rich and detailed portraits of teachers in South Korea who serve a significant number of migrant and undocumented children. The findings of the study illustrate the ways teachers endeavor to create “spaces of belonging that supersede legal citizenship” (Gonzales et al., 2013, p. 17) in a school for the undocumented migrant children. Teachers attended to the everyday realities of undocumented migrant children and the material, physical, and emotional challenges caused by restrictive immigration policies and their precarious legal status. Teachers further provided undocumented migrant children with a variety of resources, support, and care and cultivated reciprocal and loving relationships with them. The findings of the study offer insights into the critical and pivotal roles of teachers in supporting and empowering undocumented migrant children amidst exclusive and xenophobic immigration regimes. The study also offers implications for educators, researchers and policymakers worldwide to promote more caring, resilient, and structurally inclusive environments for undocumented students.

Food, Academic Counseling, Faculty Support, Financial Aid, Technology, Therapy, and Legal Assistance: Immediate Validation for Community College Undocumented Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic

ABSTRACT The purposes of the present exploratory qualitative study were to investigate if a California community college provided localized assistance to undocumented students during the COVID-19 pandemic and if the students positively perceived such efforts. The researcher interviewed 20 undocumented students to gain insight into their perceptions of assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic provided by their institution. Grounded in Rendón’s Validation Theory as a theoretical framework, which explains that academic and interpersonal validation are key to student success, the present study reveals that community colleges can positively validate undocumented students by providing immediate validation, what the researcher views as urgent and timely validation during a time of crisis, via different types of assistance, such as food, counseling, faculty support, financial aid, and other services, such as technology, mental health services, and legal assistance. The findings are urgent given the ongoing pandemic and its negative effects on undocumented students’ well-being, financial security, and academics.

Where Do I Go from Here? Examining the Transition of Undocumented Students Graduating from College

ABSTRACT In this longitudinal qualitative study, we examined how 23 undocumented college students with and without DACA navigated the college graduation process and transitioned out of higher education. Despite the growing number of undocumented students with and without DACA enrolling and graduating from college over the past 10 years, few studies have been conducted about this significant life event that can involve numerous new challenges and opportunities for them. We used Schlossberg’s (2008) transition theory to design the study and analyze our data. We found that undocumented students with and without DACA perceived their transition out of higher education as an expected change with unanticipated conditions and non-events out of their control. Surprisingly, the data showed that having DACA did not translate into more stability for participants at the time of graduation. The uncertainty connected to participants’ immigration status, coupled with the ambiguous sociopolitical climate and the COVID-19 pandemic, continuously created unpredictable situations that clouded their ability to navigate the changes with confidence. In this article we present our findings through two in-depth participant narratives to bolster humanizing and counterstorytelling practices in higher education scholarship. We offer implication for research, policy, and practice.

The (un)embraced: The experiences of Black undocumented students on college campuses.

The (un)embraced: The experiences of Black undocumented students on college campuses.

Are dreams contagious? Peer effects of undocumented college students

ABSTRACT As a result of systemic barriers, undocumented immigrants are more likely to enroll in community colleges and to enter these institutions with higher prior academic achievement than their peers. I explore the potential spillover benefits of this hyperselection on other students using data from a large community college system and two identification strategies. Fixed effects models show the share of undocumented students in a course is associated with improved outcomes among U.S. citizen students. This peer effect declines after the California DREAM Act policy broadened college access and reduced hyperselection among the undocumented student population.

Testing advocacy communication theory among undocumented college students using latent profile analysis

ABSTRACT Undocumented college students face systemic oppression, which they challenge through advocacy. Often, research focuses on one type of advocacy, but Advocacy Communication Theory (ACT) conceptualizes advocacy as multidimensional – minoritized people can engage in communicative strategies at the interpersonal, mediated, community, organizational, and policy levels to challenge oppression. Here, we used three waves of longitudinal survey data from 366 undocumented students, primarily of Latine origin, and conducted latent profile analyses. We found four advocacy communication profiles: Infrequent, Interpersonal, Organizational, and Frequent Advocators. The more students observed their family engage in undocumented advocacy, and the more students saw negative media depictions of undocumented immigrants, the more likely students were to be frequent advocators than infrequent advocators. Our findings support ACT's propositions.

Admissions Officers’ Perceptions When Undocumented Students Seek In-State Resident Tuition Policy

Administrative burdens scholarship has explored the factors influencing bureaucrats’ perceptions and administrative discretion when entitled individuals seek policy benefits. Few studies, however, have recently investigated such phenomena with undocumented youth immigrants. Drawing from online web surveys and conducting a mixed methods study, I examine factors influencing admissions officers’ perceptions of requirements when undocumented youth claim in-state resident tuition benefits in U.S. colleges. The findings suggest that officers who interact more often with undocumented applicants and with more positive social constructions of them are less likely to support stringently applied administrative requirements when they seek in-state tuition benefits. However, such variables are insufficient to frame admissions officers’ decisions. State laws and organizational rules also constrain their administrative discretion regardless of their proclivity to facilitate access to in-state tuition benefits by undocumented youth. This study addresses the tension among public servants’ attitudes and bureaucratic factors mediating efficiency, equity, and integrity surrounding policy implementation. Findings contribute to higher education policy scholarship by exploring the roles of street-level bureaucrats as mediators among state policies, institutional rules, and the circumstances of undocumented applicants.

The impact of COVID-19 and anti-immigration policy on an undocumented student in the United States: a qualitative case study

Background The change of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program has significantly impacted DACA students’ mental health in the United States. The study aimed to conduct a qualitative case study for understanding the effects of DACA program on one undocumented college student’s life during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods We conducted a two-component qualitative case study, the online survey and the subsequent in-depth interview, with a DACA college student, Leah (pseudonym), in California who was in an ongoing fear of deportation before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. We used Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) in the online survey to measure her level of depression and anxiety. QSR NVivo was used to analyze the verbatim transcription. Results Leah’s anxiety and depression level just before the Supreme Court’s decision to the DACA termination in June 2020 was higher than during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021. Leah’s concern still remained due to the uncertain legal status in the United States even after the presidential election. Conclusions During 2020-2022, the anti-immigration policy, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the presidential election has impacted a DACA student’s mental health status. However, because of the unstable legal status and fear of deportation in the United States, our participant’s anxiety and depression level maintained high. From our participant’s standpoint, more policy support is needed to sustain her legal status, financial stability, and mental health during the pandemic.