Cal Poly, Cuesta are ahead of new law that offers resources to ‘Dreamer’ college students

Assemblywoman Blanca Rubio, D-Baldwin Park, still remembers the advice she received years ago when she approached a high school counselor about attending college.

“Oh honey, you’re just going to get married and have children. Why don’t you just go into home ec?” she said the counselor told her.

Rubio said it was a devastating conversation that stuck with her as she authored AB 1645, a bill that requires University of California, California State University and community college campuses to staff a ‘Dreamer’ resource liaison and encourages them to establish ‘Dreamer’ resource centers. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the bill in October.

Locally, Cal Poly has operated a resource center for a few years, and Cuesta College just opened one in the spring.

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) was issued as an executive order by President Barack Obama in 2012, granting undocumented people who arrived in the United States as children a two-year reprieve from deportation, with possibility of renewal, and allowed them to acquire a work permit.

The Supreme Court began hearing arguments on DACA on Nov. 12 and will decide whether the Trump administration will be allowed to move forward with plans to end the program.

Supporting undocumented students

Rubio said that as an undocumented, first-generation student she experienced a frequent lack of support within the education system.

Liaisons are responsible for streamlining access to financial aid, social services, state-funded immigration legal services and academic opportunities for undocumented students, among other services. The bill allows for Dreamer Resource Centers to be housed within existing infrastructure.

Rubio authored a similar bill that passed through the state Legislature in 2018, but it was ultimately vetoed by former Gov. Jerry Brown, who said the bill was unnecessary.

“All of our higher education institutions ought to be well-versed in the rights and opportunities available to undocumented students. I further called on our system higher education leaders to ensure that relevant campus personnel can ably fulfill these duties,” Brown said in his veto message in 2018.

“UC and CSU have complied by either creating designated physical spaces on campus called Dream Resource Centers, or provided such information through existing student support programs.”

Analysis by the Senate Appropriations Committee estimated the cost of appointing a Dreamer resource liaison at each of California’s 115 community colleges at $2.9 million or $25,000 per campus.

According to the California Community College Chancellor’s Office (CCCCO), 35 of the state’s 115 community colleges house Dreamer Resource Centers. Nineteen of those 35 community colleges employ Dreamer resource coordinators.

All 10 UC campuses are already in compliance with the bill, while 19 of the 23 CSU campuses house Dreamer Resource Centers, according to a Senate analysis of the bill.

Laura Metune, CCCCO’s vice chancellor for external relations, acknowledged the necessity of such resources for undocumented students, but also pointed to a lack of funding as an obstacle in the bill’s implementation.

“Establishing Dreamer resource liaisons and Dreamer Resource Centers are a well-known best practice to support this population,” Metune said in a statement.

“The Chancellor’s Office supports the work of our colleges to hire liaisons and establish centers on each campus for which funding was not provided. Community colleges serve the largest number of undocumented students of any of California’s higher education systems, but continue to receive the lowest per-student funding levels.”

Thirty-two California colleges and universities offer resources to undocumented students with funding provided by the California Campus Catalyst Fund, a three-year grant aimed at expanding support for undocumented students.

What Cuesta and Cal Poly are doing

Vice President of Student Services at Cuesta College, Mark Sanchez, said that the funding allowed the school to get ahead of the law, when Cuesta opened its Dreamer Resource Center in the spring of 2019.

“They’ve been able to give us a three-year grant that has really provided the seed money in addition to some of the initial grant money we received to get our Monarch Resource Center up and rolling. We have a designated liaison, a designated space, pantry money and access to an enrollment success specialist,” Sanchez said.

“I think it was always one of those groups that operated subversively. I think it’s a student group that’s afraid to ask for resources.”

Cal Poly established its Dreamer Resource Center three years ago, according to Vice President of Student Affairs Keith Humphrey. Prior to that, Humphrey said, the coordination of resources for undocumented students was handled by a group of faculty and staff in ad hoc fashion.

“We have a staff member who serves as a coordinating point person for creating a welcoming experience for our students who are undocumented. As well as coordinating services for the students to make sure they are getting access to services in a culturally relevant light. And with experts who understand a lot of the specific nuances that are related to students who may identify as undocumented,” Humphrey said.

Also, a quarterly UndocuAlly training is offered at Cal Poly Slo to all students, faculty and staff members, which Humphrey said helps attendees understand the unique experiences of undocumented students, while giving insights for individuals to provide service and support.

Why resources are needed

The California Community Colleges Project released a study in May that found six major obstacles facing undocumented students in California’s community college system. These challenges include: inadequate outreach to undocumented students, insufficient institutional support and campus training, as well as a need for dedicated staff and space at each campus.

The bill faced no stated opposition from groups in the Legislature, but Rubio said she faced harassment from trolls on social media, who called for bills that would benefit “real” or “legal” Americans.

In 2018, Irvine Valley College student Rosa Rodriguez testified at a legislative hearing on behalf of AB 1645’s predecessor, AB 2477.

“It may not seem like a big deal, but when you’re undocumented, telling the wrong person your status can cost you the life you built in this country. Often the workers don’t have the experience with the cases like mine. Especially since things are always changing regarding DACA,” Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez said she was frustrated in her attempts to find on-campus assistance and was referred to a toll-free number to address her questions.

“I was forced to hunt for those answers on my own. It was even more surprising when I ran into students who didn’t know there were opportunities out for them because they were too afraid to even ask somebody for help on campus and share their stories,” Rodriguez said.

“Being undocumented and first-generation college student made the transition even more challenging.”

This story is part of a collaborative project between McClatchy and seniors in the journalism program at Sacramento State University. For more information about the program, or to send a message, visit facebook.com/sacstatejournalism.