College community stands to protect undocumented students

Members of the district, state officials and immigration experts gathered at the districtwide Dream Resource Forum.

By: Kaia Mann, Editor-in-chief

(L-R) Assemblywoman Celeste Rodriguez, LACCD trustee David Vela and L.A. County Supervisor Lindsay Horvath speak to the attendees of the Dream Resource Forum Friday during the call to action from elected officials. (Alejandro Rafael for the Valley Star_

As anti-immigration policies and rhetoric intensify under Donald Trump’s presidency, the Los Angeles Community College District and Dream Resource Centers across the city gathered at the second annual Dream Resource Forum to discuss ongoing and future measures to protect undocumented students. 

The districtwide forum was held at Mission College, featuring a “Know your Rights” panel, calls for action from elected officials and student voice videos. Speakers from campus centers, the board of trustees and third party organizations spoke about how to best support the undocumented population on campuses and how to prepare for the future.

“We stand firm in support of our undocumented students,” said Interim Chancellor Alberto J. Roman during the welcome address. “We're a nation of immigrants, a place where everyone is welcome, and we will continue to believe in that premise until the last day that we are on this earth.” 

LACCD trustee David Vela discussed the measures taken within the district for the protection of the student population. Multiple board members, including Vela and Roman, recently traveled to Washington D.C. to advocate for students’ rights. 

“We hit the ground running,” said Vela. “We said, hey, you can stand up to the administration. These are our needs. We're preparing. We need you guys to stand up for our undocumented students at LACCD.”  

The board member added that the LACCD is the only district in America to meet directly with an undersecretary in the Trump administration. The focus of that conversation was to let them know “there would be war” if they pulled the $239 million Pell Grant that allows thousands of students access to free and low-cost education. 

Vela also highlighted the efforts of former trustee Mike Fong, now a California Assembly member representing District 49. Fong is working on introducing an assembly bill that would prohibit federal agents from detaining undocumented individuals on community college campuses and will function similarly to Assembly Bill 49 and Senate Bill 48, introduced in December 2024, which provide the same protections for K-12 schools.

Without a warrant, ICE agents are restricted to entering spaces open to the public. While Valley and other LACCD colleges feature open campuses, Dream Resource Center counselor Javier Carbajal emphasized that anyone conducting business on campus, including law enforcement, must follow the same procedures as other vendors. This means ICE agents must first report to the president’s office before detaining or questioning anyone.

In the event that ICE arrives on campus, with or without proper warrants, faculty members are prohibited from intervening with federal agents to avoid obstructing justice. However, there are steps staff can take to protect students. According to district policy, if ICE agents enter a classroom, professors have the right to inform them that they are violating the classroom policy, which allows only enrolled students in the room. Professors can then escort the agents to the president’s office and dismiss their class. Another measure schools can implement is restricting public access to campus facilities by requiring a staff badge or student ID for entry.

California is home to 10.5 million immigrants and accounts for 23 percent of the nation’s foreign-born population. Since his inauguration, Trump has intensified deportation efforts, with the Senate currently debating a stop-gap spending bill that would allocate an additional $500 million to ICE. Students, regardless of citizenship, are urged to know their 4th, 5th and 6th Amendment rights, remain calm and silent in the presence of ICE officers, and carry a red “Know Your Rights” card for guidance.

“Even though the current administration is in place, the one thing they cannot take from you is your education, your learning, your skill set, your advocacy efforts, the relationships that you build on these campuses,” said Alfonso Garcia, the senior program manager for the foundation for CA community colleges. “I want students to think through that because your education is something that is yours.” 

There is currently a Dream Resource Center on all nine LACCD campuses that provide safe spaces for students to receive information and help they need regarding their citizenship status or the status of a family member. 

“We do not want our students to feel that they can't come and enroll and come to class," said Trustee Vela. “That is unacceptable. That is un-American. You talk about what is patriotic. Education is patriotic for immigrants.”