As immigration threats intensify under a new Trump era, colleges and universities across the country find themselves in an increasingly challenging situation, walking a fine line between protecting undocumented students and following the rules of the Trump administration.
At the frontlines of this battle are undocumented students, many of whom have become community organizers, demanding more support and protection from their institutions. These student-led campaigns are calling for things like legal aid, emergency funding, housing access, and real sanctuaries, arguing their schools are not doing enough.
According to the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, there are an estimated 427,000 undocumented students enrolled in U.S. colleges and universities, however, most can’t access basic resources like health care, legal services, or the ability to work legally.
“Statements are just blankets on protection,” says Luz Chavez-Gonzalez, a longtime immigrant rights advocate. “If schools don’t provide resources, those words mean nothing.”
In recent months, Trump’s threats to limit federal funding for universities have placed a number of institutions under investigation, forcing many to comply with the president’s mandates. One of them being Harvard University, who recently rejected demands from the Trump administration to dismantle its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs and to cooperate more closely with immigration authorities.
In response, the administration froze over $2 billion in federal funding and threatened to revoke Harvard's tax-exempt status, citing the university's refusal to comply with federal mandates related to immigration and other policies.
UNIVERSITIES STEPPING UP FOR UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS
While some institutions have remained silent, worried about the political consequences of speaking out against the administration, others are beginning to take measurable steps to protect their undocumented student populations.
“One of the first things we’re seeing universities do is teach and train students with crucial know-your-rights information,” says Gaby Pacheco, CEO of TheDream.US, the nation’s largest scholarship provider for undocumented students. “Presidents are using their voice and sending messages to students, saying all students, no matter their origin or race, are critical to them.”
One of the institutions to address deportation threats to students is the University of California, Berkeley. In a campus-wide message, administrators confirmed that four current students had their visas revoked and non-immigrant statuses terminated by the federal government.
In response, the university offered support to the affected students, affirming their right to remain part of the campus community and encouraging them to seek legal counsel. “Your university supports, without reservation, the right and ability of immigrant and international students, staff, and faculty to participate fully in the campus experience,” the letter read.
Berkeley’s International Office has continued to provide Know Your Rights materials, legal resources, and guidance regarding federal actions, reaffirming the school’s Principles of International Engagement amid rising fears of surveillance and enforcement.
Similar to this statement, the University of Minnesota issued a letter to the students, “I want to reassure you that the University has personnel and resources in place to support faculty, staff, and students who may be affected by these changes,” said Gregg Goldman, Executive Vice President for Finance and Operations. “International students and scholars have been and will always be an essential part of the University of Minnesota, bringing new knowledge and experiences to our University for 150 years.”
UNIVERSITIES ARE NOT DOING ENOUGH
However, undocumented students say even when institutions release statements in support of undocumented students, they sometimes fall short of the promises they make.
“Some schools say, ‘We can’t do it, it’s not possible,’” says Chavez-Gonzalez, referring to the lack of dedicated resources to help undocumented students directly by universities. “But California has entire buildings with full-time staff focused solely on undocumented students; it’s about priorities, not possibility.”
Chavez-Gonzalez refers to institutions like UCLA, where the Dream Resource Center, a program of the UCLA Labor Center, offers leadership development, advocacy training, and resources tailored for immigrant youth and allies.
The contrast, she argues, reveals how some universities invest in sustainable support while others do the minimum.
For example, Emory University in Georgia responded to news that four students, three alumni and one currently enrolled, had their visas terminated. The University’s Global Engagement team offered monitoring services of the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVIS) database to alert students if their J-1 or F-1 status is revoked.
While the institution aimed to provide support, some students viewed it as an insufficient approach compared to more comprehensive initiatives like those at institutions in California. Other universities haven taken even more harsh decisions, such as agreements with the federal government authorizing campus police to question and detain undocumented immigrants.
Ten Florida public universities have signed memorandums of agreement at the direction of Republican governor Ron DeSantis, including Florida A&M University, and Florida International University. Governor DeSantis ordered law enforcement agencies to partner with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) “to execute functions of immigration enforcement,” according to a Feb. 19 news release.
Luz Chavez-Gonzalez, who has been involved in the immigrant rights movement since she was 13 years old, suggests that options exist. “If a school has a law school, they should be offering pro bono support. One of the biggest barriers right now is legal representation.”
While many law schools do operate immigration clinics, such as Yale’s Legal Assistance Immigrant Rights Clinic and UC Berkeley’s Immigration Law Clinic, Chavez-Gonzalez argues that more institutions with the capacity to do so should be extending legal services.
The burden to advocate for these resources falls on students themselves, say advocates, many of whom are already navigating financial insecurity and family responsibilities under the threat of deportation.
OPENING SPACE FOR CONVERSATION
Only a few states, such as Minnesota, offer in-state financial aid or health coverage for undocumented students, making those campuses with unique resources a magnet for immigrants and, consequently, also for immigration officers.
“Even though it’s a horrible time, we’re using this momentum to finally push for demands we’ve had for years,” says a trans undocumented student, leader of the Minnesota Youth Activist Alliance, who asked that their name not be used. “Administrators who used to take three months to meet with us are now meeting in a week.”
These issues have opened a conversation that many undocumented students say is long overdue regarding how resources are distributed on campuses. “Administration has been prioritizing international students over domestic undocumented students, creating this hierarchy of who deserves protections and services,” said the Minnesota student.
IMPACT ON STUDENTS
This constant state of advocacy, uncertainty, and fear takes a serious toll on students’ mental health. “I had kids scared for their lives, calling me because ICE was outside their school,” says Chavez-Gonzalez, who continues to mentor youth organizers in Maryland. “Some had ICE knock on their door while they were home.”
For many, the anxiety doesn’t end on school grounds. Students face the emotional responsibility of keeping their families safe, often missing out on opportunities out of fear for their loved ones. “Some of my students got into Ivy Leagues,” Chavez shares, “but they don’t want to go. They’re afraid to leave their undocumented parents behind.”
These emotional burdens are often worsened by the way undocumented students are portrayed in the media. Headlines often politicize their pain, focusing on fear, ICE raids, and deportation threats while ignoring their resilience, leadership, and organizing power, say advocates.
“The media keeps portraying us like we’re getting kidnapped, but they never show the grassroots work we’re doing for each other,” says the Minnesota student. “There are no stories of empowerment, just fear. They ignore mutual aid and the ways we’ve been building community on campus.”
“Before, they were unapologetically undocumented, but after this administration started, the fears are really starting to kick in,” said Chavez-Gonzalez, who says engagement in activism has decreased after January.
PUSHING BACK
One of the most significant wins led by youth organizers was the recent reintroduction of the American Dream and Promise Act of 2025 in the U.S. House of Representatives. The bipartisan legislation aims to provide a pathway to citizenship for DACA recipients, as well as recipients of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and Deferred Enforced Departure (DED).
The bill has received support from 201 Members of Congress and has been endorsed by nearly 120 organizations, including the University of California system and the American Federation of Teachers.
Members of Congress, including Congresswoman Delia Ramirez from Chicago, Illinois, have introduced the Sensitive Locations Act, legislation that aims to protect individuals from ICE in specific locations like schools and chruches. Similar laws have passed at the state and local level throughout the country.
"One of the things that I’m doing is, I’m joining a number of letters, amplifying the importance of protecting higher education and freedom of speech, as well as holding Homeland Security Secretary Noem accountable,” said Congreswoman Ramirez, the only Congressperson married to a DACA recipient.
"I am making sure that we are filing legislation that extends protection of people and students, such as the Sensitive Locations Act," said the Congresswoman. “There is no reason why someone should be abducted as they’re on their way to school is unacceptable and it shows how fragile democracy is.”
Advocates across the country say it's important to spread a message of hope for students and universities navigating the immigration threats of the Trump administration, emphasizing that they have fought for those rights before, and they will do it again.
“Let this moment radicalize you instead of leading you to despair,” said Chavez-Gonzales. “We've been here before. We fought back. There are people fighting for your life every day.”