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Following Donald Trump’s second election to presidential office, he may attempt to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program — also known as DACA — for a second time.

According to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), on June 15, 2012, the Secretary of Homeland Security announced that certain people who came to the United States as children and meet several guidelines may request consideration of deferred action for a period of two years, subject to renewal. 

Here at LPC, this program allows undocumented immigrants under certain conditions to work and be protected from deportation. These DACA recipients and AB 540 students, also known as “Dreamers,” must renew their status and work permit every two years.

However, following Trump’s 2024 presidential election win, undocumented immigrants feel their lives in America are under threat. 

DACA was created by former President Barack Obama’s administration in 2012, and later terminated by Trump’s presidential administration in 2017. However, on Jan. 9, 2018, the USCIS announced that it has resumed accepting requests to renew a grant of deferred action under DACA following a national injunction — an action that gives a single district court temporary power to halt federal policy — to keep DACA from a federal judge. Following this, on Jan. 11, 2018, Trump rejected a pitch from a bipartisan team of senators who compromised on an immigration deal to protect DACA participants while increasing border security. 

According to multiple sources such as AP News, CNN and Fox News, Trump responded to senators in the Oval Office by asking, “Why are we having all these people from s—hole countries coming here?”

On Nov. 12, 2019, The Supreme Court heard oral arguments for the case of “Department of Homeland Security v. Regents of the University of California,” a challenge to the Trump Administration’s decision to terminate the DACA program. 

Then on June 18, 2020, by a vote of 5-4, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the case of Department of Homeland Security v. Regents of the University of California, concluding that the Trump Administration acted improperly in terminating the DACA program. This ruling meant that the DACA program would remain in place.

As of November 2024, current grants of DACA remain valid until they expire or are individually terminated. The USCIS continues to accept and process DACA renewal requests. 

Even in liberal California, some undocumented immigrants face limited protection. 

Alain Olavarrieta, a first-generation immigrant and formerly undocumented student, is now a naturalized citizen and full-time instructor of mathematics at LPC. He expressed concern about what the future of naturalization could look like under Trump’s administration.

“I mean, he said that he would denaturalize people. (Trump) said he would deport people, and it’s not like the United States hasn’t had a history of that,” Olavarrieta said. “So, it is scary to have somebody that’s in power in the military, and has probably one of the highest positions of power — if not the highest position of power — have that sort of rhetoric, right?”

“As somebody who is a migrant and who works with migrants … I’m afraid for their safety and for even my family and my own safety.”

Currently, LPC neither has a Dream Center nor an UndocuLiaison.

These types of services are fundamental support for marginalized communities, especially considering it’s mandated by law that every community college needs to have an UndocuLiaison and or a Dream Center, “we have neither,” Olavarrieta said.

On Oct. 12, 2019, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed AB 1645 in response to the Trump Administration’s threats to deport millions of undocumented immigrants. The bill requires California Community Colleges to have a designated Dreamer Resource Liaison staffer on campus to provide undocumented and AB 540 students adequate support and the resources needed to navigate the education system.

Despite LPC’s Mission and Values Statement, which says the college provides an inclusive, learning-centered, equity-focusing environment and ensures it is a sanctuary for undocumented students, the school lacks required resources. With the previous Dream Center coordinator no longer at LPC, undocumented students may find themselves lost.

“We have a good sized population of undocumented students, and oftentimes it’s really difficult to pinpoint the students, because they will never tell you they’re undocumented,” Olavarrieta said. “And the thing about undocumented students is that they vary in ethnicity.”

“So we definitely need that support,” he said. “We are working on it. And I think we need it more now than we have ever.”

Providing proper mental health services is necessary. Olavarrieta isn’t sure why the college hasn’t done more on that front. Services have, as far as he knows, “been in the works for a while.”

The Dream Center along with other student communities will be housed in the new Cultural Community Center in 2401. It is currently still under construction and set to be completed in the early months of 2025.

On Nov. 12, 2024, California Community Colleges (CCC) Chancellor Sonya Christian released a statement reaffirming CCC’s dedication to inclusive education by supporting all students, including those who are undocumented, and encouraging them to complete the current semester and return for Spring 2025.

“Education empowers individuals to break cycles of poverty, shape their futures and contribute meaningfully to the world. Access to quality education must be universal, ensuring that everyone, regardless of background, can learn, grow, and thrive,” the statement said. “Our policy remains: We do not participate in federal enforcement of national immigration regulations unless compelled to by state or federal law.”

“Our system does not capture information on undocumented students,” the statement continued, “and our colleges will not release personally identifiable student information related to immigration status unless required by judicial order.”

The statement reiterated the CCC system’s commitment to housing a Dream Center and UndocuLiasions on every campus.

But that doesn’t apply to Las Positas. Without a dedicated space to provide essential information, guidance and advocacy for the undocumented students of LPC, their academic and personal success could be thwarted.

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