Institutional agents’ perspectives of institutional support for undocumented and DACA community college students

Abstract

Given that community colleges enroll most of the undocumented and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) students across the nation, there is an economic and moral imperative to understand how the sociopolitical environment has shifted educational opportunities for undocumented and DACA students. This paper unveils how institutional agents use their agency to shape the college community college experiences of undocumented and DACA students. Findings include institutional agents’ perspectives on navigating challenges, resistance, and virtues in the current sociopolitical climate. Recommendations are discussed to enhance humanizing and holistic institutional support for DACA and undocumented college students, as well as a proposed undocuservingness framework.PRACTICAL TAKEAWAYS It is important for insititutional agents to use legal and racial consciouness to better serve undocumented and DACA students. Hispanic Serving Community Colleges need to unpack servingness within the context of supporting undocumented and DACA students

Editor's Note: Equitable and humanizing research, policy, and practice with and for undocumented collegians in the United States

“…These scholars often work vigorously to overcome obstacles and contribute positively to their communities (Hubbard, 2023) while embracing and celebrating joy (Santa-Ramirez & Hall, 2023). As these collegians continue to encounter challenges, it is salient that higher education actors actively work toward a more just society for undocumented collegians and racially minoritized communities writ large, which includes critically analyzing inequitable institutional policies and practices and advocating for these scholars in-and -out of the ivory tower walls (Muñoz & Santa-Ramirez, 2022), in addition to employing research and methodological practices and processes that are collaborative, culturally relevant, life-giving, humanizing, and ethical, with an immense amount of care.…”