Students had the chance to hear from local immigration experts this past Friday in the Alumni and Visitors Center main room at Cal State Monterey Bay (CSUMB).
The panel hosted attorneys and lawmakers from the Monterey Bay region to inform and connect undocumented students on the resources available to them.
Assistant Professor Kaiqi Hun and Professor Angie Tran, who hosted the event, were both immigrants, which they say was formative to their lives and academic careers. This event was meant to help others in similar situations move forward academically.
Addressing 40 in-person attendees and 36 online, the two professors opened the event to connect undocumented students with the resources available to them, both from CSUMB as well as locally.
Nationally, immigration policies have been under scrutiny. The panel aimed to provide confidence to affected students and guide them in how to navigate the legal and legislative process.
“We sometimes don’t know the keys we give to others,” said Alex Mares, a Monterey County public defender who specializes in immigration.
Mares used his time on the panel advising on how to navigate the potential ways in which immigration officers might approach undocumented immigrants, discerning the legality of certain scenarios. “Be mindful and stay on it,” said Mares.
Sponsored by the Personal Growth and Counseling Center (PGCC) at CSUMB, another key idea from the panel addressed was the mental health aspect of navigating higher education as an undocumented immigrant. Addressed were the added stressors that may arise from being under the microscope of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
The PGCC made clear that undocumented students have communities to turn to. Pamphlets in the event’s lobby showed a multitude of support groups, each matching with different backgrounds so that students could find familiarity.
Attorney Lizett Rodriguez Pena outlined the complicated status many undocumented immigrants find themselves in. Forms of legalization are often slow, for example, visas can take upwards of 20 years to finish filing.
“U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services still has a backlog from COVID-19,” said Pena.
In the latter half of the panel Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-Carmel Valley), shared how the congressional government is working to maintain these resources for undocumented immigrants.
Federal courts have filed injunctions against certain executive orders from the Trump Administration. Panetta maintained that individuals need to contribute as well.
“Although our rights are self-evident,” Panetta said, “they are not self-executed.”