This article was also translated into Spanish.
De Anza College and Foothill College are bracing for this year’s Undocumented Student Action Week; set to take place from Monday, Oct. 13, to Friday, Oct. 17. The week will feature guided discussions, free legal services and informational sessions.
De Anza College President Omar Torres said the week will be packed full of events and opportunities.
Torres said that on top of the many workshops, they will provide information for programs such as Higher Education for AB 540 Students, UndocuSTEM, the California Youth Leadership Corps and Volunteer Income Tax Assistance.
“This year, to make sure that we create a safe space that students are comfortable with, it (UndocuCon) will be conducted remotely,” Torres said.
Foothill’s plans run similarly to De Anza’s, providing constant legal advice for students during the week’s events and beyond, as well as workshops and activities throughout the week.
“Over the summer, we also started offering the resident tuition waiver for students who have six or fewer units and are nonresidents,” Foothill College President Kristina Whalen said.
For the safety of undocumented students, Foothill’s main event featuring special guest activist Dolors Huerta will be invite-only.
Laurie Scolari, vice president of student services at Foothill, said they will also be offering workshops for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals-specific students, as well as Know Your Rights campaigning.
“We’re really trying to make sure that the undocumented community knows how to access these resources,” Scolari said.
Foothill-De Anza Chancellor Lee Lambert highlighted the U.S. Department of Justice’s recent attack on the Texas Dream Act, a law that granted undocumented students in-state tuition. Oklahoma and Florida also lost eligibility for in-state tuition for nonresident students this year.
“In our relationship with the President’s Alliance, we will be signing on to an amicus brief to challenge the administration,” Lambert said.
Lambert said Austin Community College is the only Texas community college that is filing a lawsuit against the Trump administration, “in partnership with the Mexican American Legal Defense Fund.”
“We know if (the Trump administration) is successful in the state of Texas, it’s just a matter of time before they make their rounds to all the other states that offer in-state tuition,” Lambert said.
To register to attend any of the events or for more information on Undocumented Students’ Action Week, visit the Undocumented Students Week of Action webpage.
