Over the last few days, there have been growing fears and worries among students who are members of undocumented or mixed-status families (where at least one member is undocumented). Many are fearful about encountering immigration officers on their way to school or work or of being reported to immigration authorities by strangers. There is also ongoing uncertainty about the future of DACA. Students are also concerned about their families’ ability to remain together and safe from the threat of deportation particularly in light of rapidly changing guidelines on immigration enforcement. Students are also contending with countless rumors about immigration raids. As faculty and staff members in higher education who directly interact with students, there are several steps you can take to support immigrant college students and their families during these challenging times. Below, are a few recommendations:

1. Make your support for undocumented students visible. Students are currently navigating an increasingly hostile landscape where it is difficult to know who to trust. They are also in need of trustworthy information, resources, and support to navigate this uncertain time. As a faculty or staff member, you can communicate to students that you are a “safe person” they can go to for help. Even if you do not have all of the answers and cannot give legal or medical advice, you can nevertheless actively listen to their concerns, share resources with them, and point them in the right direction (or accompany them through the process). There are different approaches you can take to communicate to students that you are a safe person. This includes, for example, posting an “UndocuAlly” or an “UndocuResource” flyer on your office where it is visible to students. You can download a poster for free through My Undocumented Life, Immigrants Rising, and the UndocuBasic Needs project. You could also let students know that you recognize that immigrant college students may feel particularly vulnerable at this time and that you encourage them to reach out to you if there are any issues, including immigration-related, that are interfering with their ability to focus in class or attend school. This can be done during a general class announcement or in a statement that is included on the course syllabus.
2. Compile and share information about local and institutional resources. Students may have questions related to their personal (or families’) options for immigration relief, legal rights, access to medical services, options for continuing their education and securing scholarships, among other related issues. Depending on where you live, there may be different organizations providing direct services to immigrant youth and their families. In New York, for example, there is the New York State Youth Leadership Council (NYSYLC) which hosts advocacy and community building events, maintains a list of trustworthy resources open to undocumented immigrants in NY, publishes helpful guides, and much more. In other states, there are organizations like Scholarships A-Z (AZ), the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CA), the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (IL), the Massachusetts Immigrant & Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MA), and RAICES (TX). For helpful information available to undocumented students as it relates to their ability to meet their essential needs, see these resource pages compiled by the UndocuBasic Needs project.
3. Host speakers on campus to raise awareness about the experiences of undocumented students. At a time of growing anti-immigrant sentiment and misinformation about the U.S. immigration system, it is important to raise awareness about the experiences of undocumented students and ways to support them, including best practices and updates on policy changes. This can help address misinformation and misconceptions about immigrant students and advocate for meaningful change and support. To this end, you may consider hosting speakers on-campus that can facilitate these conversations. This can include hosting a panel of current or former undocumented students, immigrant rights organizers, colleagues who teach on immigration, direct service providers, authors who identify as undocumented, amongst others. Founder of My Undocumented Life, Carolina, frequently speaks with various audiences on issues related to U.S. immigration policy, enforcement, undocumented students and their children, and recommendations for school personnel.
4. Establish or nurture a network of allies on campus. As you find yourself actively listening to students’ concerns and pointing them in the right direction, it can also be helpful to have an established network of allies on campus. Allies can be helpful sounding boards (offering ideas about how to address a specific situation), supporters (helping students navigate a particular issue), and connectors (referring you or a student to a helpful resource). There are instances, for example, when a U.S. citizen student whose parents are undocumented may be struggling to get their financial aid award processed and they are not sure who else to trust with information about their immigration status. Or when an undocumented student is concerned about their ability to pay tuition for the upcoming semester. This is an opportunity to consider reaching out to an ally to see what they recommend or if they can help the student directly (for example, if it is someone who has experience with this particular scenario and/or works in financial aid).
5. Become familiar with applicable laws and best practices associated with protecting students’ privacy and confidentiality. Students may have questions about their safety and confidentiality when seeking support and services at school. They may also be worried about sharing information about their parents on school forms. As a faculty or staff member who interacts with immigrant college students, it is also important to become aware about applicable laws that are in place to safeguard against immigration enforcement actions on campus. There are different ways you can go about to obtain this kind of information. You may want to check with your campus to see if there is an Undocumented Student Services or Dream Resource Office. These offices often host “UndocuAlly” trainings that inform school personnel about ways to support undocumented students, including considerations about their safety and confidentiality. The California Charter Schools Association and the Stanford Law School also created a helpful guide that discusses the range of policies that help protect students’ information and rights. Immigrants Rising also developed a similar guide. The National Immigration Law Center also developed a helpful messaging template that can be used to communicate information about students’ privacy and confidentiality as it relates to FAFSA. You can access the template and other helpful information here.
6. Stay alert about upcoming changes in U.S. immigration policy and enforcement. As things continue to evolve, there are many reports about changes in U.S. immigration policy and enforcement, including rumors about potential immigration raids and sightings of immigration officers. Students are often tasked with keeping up-to-date with these changes for their personal (and families’) safety. Students may approach you with questions about things they heard or read about in the news. Or you may want to forward helpful information to them. For these reasons, it is important to identify trustworthy organizations and other sources of information to be able to stay informed. My Undocumented Life and Immigration Prof Blog are among the platforms that provide up-to-date information that can be helpful for undocumented students and their allies.
7. Share information related to know your rights, family emergency preparedness plans, and additional resources with students who may benefit from it. It can be helpful to spend some time identifying or creating a list of helpful resources that you can have on-hand to give out to students, either in-person or via email. This list can include information related to know your rights, family emergency preparedness plans, anti-deportation campaigns, basic needs support, scholarship opportunities, and more. As you collect resources, the key is to identify those that are trustworthy, accessible, reliable, and preferably up-to-date. You may consider doing this collectively and getting help from colleagues or students who may be familiar with resources on-campus or in the city, or are able to volunteer some of their time to this effort. You can also browse through resources shared via My Undocumented Life, the UndocuBasic Needs Project, Immigrants Rising, and the President’s Alliance for a helpful start.
8. Support campus-based undocumented student-led organizations, undocumented student service centers, and immigrant-led grassroots organizations. There are important efforts underway to provide direct services and support to undocumented students across campuses and cities. Many of these centers and organizations are often understaffed and underfunded, and depend on private donations and volunteers to carry out their mission. It is helpful to become familiar with these networks and inquire about ways to best support their efforts.
9. If you or a student you work with encounters information about a possible immigration raid or sightings of immigration officers, work to first verify that the information is accurate. There are countless rumors circulating in the immigrant community about sightings of immigration officers and potential raids. Sometimes these rumors are true and other times they are not. Before alerting students about any news of enforcement activities happening on-campus or the local community, it is important to try and verify that the information is accurate. This helps reduce any unnecessary fear and confusion among students and their families. To this end, it is helpful to sign-up for alerts from trustworthy local immigrant rights organizations that maintain rapid response networks or immigration hotlines. It is also helpful to become familiar with the tactics that immigration officers typically employ. Unión Del Barrio, a grassroots organization in San Diego, posted this video that features information about the type of vehicles that immigration officers may drive, when and where they may target immigrants, and what to do during an encounter with an immigration officer. The Immigrant Defense Project also has created several resources, including information about tactics immigration officers may employ during a raid.
10. Share resources with colleagues who interact with immigrant college students. Lastly, part of cultivating a safe space for students during these challenging times requires building a network of trusted, informed, and supportive allies. To do this, it can be helpful to share advice and resources you come across with colleagues who may similarly interact with undocumented, DACAmented, and mixed-status students. In addition to fostering a safe space for students, these efforts help build a sense of community within your campus so that students know they are not alone and there are members of the campus community committed and prepared to support them.

Do you have additional recommendations, advice on best practices, or resources to share? Consider commenting them below!

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