De Anza College is dedicated to providing education and a safe environment for all students, regardless of their immigration status. While there is a great deal of uncertainty and concern about U.S. government policy, De Anza is reaffirming its commitment to treat all students with equity and respect. This page will be updated regularly with information about on-campus programs and other resources for undocumented students.
**Closed Captions in English and Spanish; click "CC" or "Settings" to select language.** (For a version of this video with open captions in English, click here)
Advice for Undocumented Students and Families
Here's the latest on DACA ...
While the Trump Administration has set a March deadline for the current DACA program to end, a federal judge has ordered the government to resume accepting applications for DACA renewals.
The administration says it will comply for now, but it also plans to appeal the judge’s order. Immigrant rights groups praised the ruling but they caution that the future of the program is still unclear.
Meanwhile, the White House and Congress are still debating a possible legislative plan for DREAMers. See below for more on the status of those talks.)
If your DACA status has expired, you may be eligible to file for renewal under the federal court order. Some California education leaders are urging students to apply for renewal if they are eligible, although immigration experts recommend that individuals should seek legal advice before filing an application.
Free walk-in consultations are offered by SIREN (Services, Immigrant Rights and Education Network) on Thursdays, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., at the SIREN office: 1415 Koll Circle, Suite 108, San Jose. For their immigrant information hotline, call 408.453.3017.
Financial aid: The Mission Asset Fund has offered financial grants to help DACA recipients pay the $495 renewal application fee. Because of limited funds, new applicants will be placed on a waiting list.
More information: These groups have more information about applying to renew DACA status
If you are already enrolled in DACA, your work permit and protection from deportation willremain in effectuntil they were scheduled to expire – generally two years after you enrolled. However, the government is not accepting new first-time applications for DACA.
DACA is a federal program that does not affect your eligibility to attend De Anza or any community college in California. It also doesn't affect your ability to qualify under AB 540 for exemption from non-resident tuition, or to apply for state financial aid under the California Dream Act.
"The California Community Colleges remain committed to serving all students, regardless of immigration status and to providing safe and welcoming environments in which to learn. We will do all within our power to assist students affected by this decision ..." – Eloy Ortiz Oakley, chancellor of California Community Colleges.
And if you're feeling stressed and want to talk with someone, here's a list of mental healthprovidersfrom the Psychological Services office at De Anza.
Latest News
President Trump has ordered an end to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, known as DACA. The program will expire in March unless Congress enacts a replacement. Read more about the latest developments:
DACA Recipients Stuck in Limbo of Fear and Anxiety (Mercury News)
DACA's March 5 'Deadline' Marks Only Inaction (CNN)
The DACA and Immigration Negotiations Explained (Vox)
Why common critiques of DACA are misleading (New York Times)
Want to learn more about national issues? Check out De Anza CivicsWatch, a set of online tools for understanding and engaging with our political system.
De Anza College Services
HEFAS, or Higher Education for AB540 Students, works to provide free resources, reduce financial stress and create a safe learning environment for undocumented students. New Office:HEFAS has moved to a larger space. Look for them in the East Cottage (near the Flint Garage), Room 101.
Admissions and Records can help undocumented students qualify under AB540 for exemption from out-of-state tuition.
Financial Aid has information on the California Dream Act, which lets AB540 students qualify for state and privately funded financial aid at public colleges.
Undocumented students are entitled to the same protection from sexual harassment and sexual discrimination that Title IX, a federal law, guarantees to all at De Anza.
Statements of Support
Responding to a White House order barring immigrants from certain countries, De Anza President Brian Murphy pledged support to international students and emphasized the college's commitment to inclusion and equity.
In an earlier message, President Murphy cited Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s call for "vigorous and positive action" as he announced campus events to support undocumented students.
The Board of Governors for California Community Collegesadopted this resolution urging President Trump to preserve DACA and affirming that community colleges will remain safe and welcoming for all students regardless of their immigration status.
In addition, here are two mobile apps designed to help undocumented students find out about college scholarships available to them. Each was developed by an undocumented student who wanted to make the experience easier for their peers.
DREAMer's Roadmap lists scholarships and helps students keep track of application deadlines. It also lets anyone suggest a scholarship that should be added to the database. It's available to download for Apple and Android devices. You can read about Sarahi Espinoza Salamanca, the DACA recipient who created DREAMer's Roadmap, in this San Francisco Chronicle profile.
DACA Scholars lists scholarships, provides deadline notifications and includes articles about undocumented students and the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. It's available for Apple and Android devices.
Congratulations to De Anza students Itzel and Brenda for earning $25,000 scholarships from TheDream.US !
Learn more about TheDream.US National Scholarship Awards
De Anza Student Stories
**Closed Captions in English and Spanish; click "CC" or "Settings" to select language.**
Manuel: "What's the future going to look like?"
Itzel: "People are afraid right now"
Brenda: "De Anza offers lots of resources ... You feel supported 110 percent"
Some Facts About Undocumented Immigrants
More than one in ten young adults in Silicon Valley are undocumented, according to a new report by the UCLA Labor Center, which estimates they are 14% of the half million people aged 18-32 in this region.
The study found 53 percent of undocumented young adults here are from Mexico, while 16 percent are from India, 5 percent from the Philippines and 5 percent from China.
More than 70 percent of the valley’s undocumented young adults are working, which is slightly higher than the rate for documented or U.S.-born peers.
De Anza hosted several events in Winter and Spring 2017 that focused on civil rights and resources for immigrants.
The series started Jan. 31 with a talk by Jose Antonio Vargas, an undocumented immigrant who grew up in Silicon Valley, became a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and founded Define American, a nonprofit media and culture group.
Later the same day, attorney Alison Kamhi from the Immigrant Legal Resource Center spoke about federal immigration policy under the Trump administration.
The ILRC's Kamhi returned to campus Feb. 8 for a practical workshop on legal rights and real-world scenarios for encounters with immigration officials.
Attorneys from the Asian Law Alliance visited the campus on two days, Feb. 13 and 27, to provide free consultations for undocumented students who had questions about their own circumstances or the immigration status of family members.
On May 5, HEFAS hosted its annual summit conference for students at De Anza and neighboring schools. The program was entitled "Build Bridges, Not Walls" and the featured speaker wasSarahi Espinoza Salamanca, creator of the DREAMer's Roadmap app. She is a former undocumented student who was named a Champion of Change at the White House in 2014.
Here's a short video of Vargas speaking on campus, Jan. 31:
