Undocumented Student Leaders and Members of the UC Board of Regents Will Discuss Historic Decision to Remove Hiring Restrictions for Undocumented Students
MEDIA ADVISORY for: August 8, 2023
CONTACT
Silvia Vazquez, UCLA Labor Center and Dream Resource Center, vazsil89@ucla.edu, 424-354-6069
Hayley Burgess, UCLA Center for Immigration Law and Policy, burgess@law.ucla.edu, 626-497-2341
Undocumented Student Leaders and Members of the UC Board of Regents Will Discuss Historic Decision to Remove Hiring Restrictions for Undocumented Students on UC Campuses
Members of the UC Board of Regents Will Join Undocumented Students from Across UC Campuses as they Mobilize for First-Ever Opportunity for All Summit
WHAT: On August 8th, undocumented student leaders from across University of California (UC) campuses will hold the first-ever Opportunity for All Summit to build power and share information and updates on next steps for the groundbreaking campaign.
In May 2023, the UC Regents announced a historic plan to implement the Opportunity for All campaign, which would remove hiring restrictions for undocumented students who don’t have access to DACA or any other form of immigration status. The Regents are required to finalize their implementation plan by November 2023. UC Regent José Hernandez, UC Student Regent Merhawi Tesfai, and UC Student Regent Designate Josiah Beharry will join the summit to celebrate and discuss with students the historic decision to remove hiring restrictions for undocumented students across UC campuses.
“The Regents’ decision to move to implement Opportunity for All is a huge step toward ensuring equal access to opportunities for all students across the University of California system. This victory was the work of undocumented students who mobilized across campuses to ensure that we and our peers are no longer excluded from crucial educational employment opportunities solely because of our immigration status,” said Jeffry Umaña Muñoz, a UCLA undergraduate and USN leader. “We look forward to partnering with UC leadership to work to ensure that all students who want to apply for on-campus jobs have the opportunities and the resources we need to do so, regardless of our immigration status.”
Leading scholars of immigration and constitutional law from around the country have shown the University of California has the power under existing law to provide its undocumented students equal access to educational employment opportunities.
WHEN: Tuesday, August 8, 2023 at 1:30 – 2:15 PM (PDT); Please RSVP: tinyurl.com/O4AllSummit
WHERE: Please register here for the Zoom link: tinyurl.com/O4AllSummit
WHO:
- UC Regent José Hernandez
- Merhawi Tesfai, UC Student Regent, UCLA
- Josiah Beharry, UC Student Regent Designate, UC Merced
- Alma Esperanza Villa Loma, UC Santa Cruz Graduate Student
- Jesus De La Mora, UC Merced Undergraduate Student
ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND:
Because the protections provided by DACA have never been updated, almost all undocumented youth now entering higher education are not eligible for its protections. In California, there are already approximately 44,326 undocumented college students who are not eligible for DACA, and 27,000 undocumented students graduating from high school each year. Undocumented students in California cannot apply for jobs and other employment opportunities simply because of their status. This includes graduate student researcher and teaching assistant positions, work study jobs, paid internships, and student leadership positions in campus organizations, and other educational and professional opportunities for deeper involvement with their institutions.
###
About UCLA CILP:
Founded in 2020, the Center for Immigration Law and Policy (CILP) at the UCLA School of Law expands the law school’s role as a national leader in immigration law and policy, generating innovative ideas at the intersection of immigration scholarship and practice and serving as a hub for transforming those ideas into meaningful changes in immigration policy.
About the UCLA Labor Center:
The UCLA Labor Center believes that a public university belongs to the people and should advance quality education and employment for all. Every day we bring together workers, students, faculty, and policymakers to address the most critical issues facing working people today. Our research, education, and policy work lifts industry standards, creates jobs that are good for communities, and strengthens immigrant rights, especially for students and youth. The UCLA Labor Center is housed in the Institute for Research on Labor and Employment, a multidisciplinary research center dedicated to the study, teaching, and discussion of labor and employment issues at UCLA.
About the Undocumented Student-Led Network:
The mission of the Undocumented Student-Led Network (USN) is to create a statewide network of immigrant youth leaders to work towards advancing an immigrant reform agenda. USN commits to expand and advocate for undocumented student resources, as well as build community and create safe spaces across campuses. Ultimately, the USN aims to uplift undocumented voices and accurately portray the undocumented experience.
About the UCLA Dream Resource Center:
The UCLA Dream Resource Center (DRC), a program team of the UCLA Labor Center, trains the next generation of diverse leaders—immigrant youth and allies with lived experiences—to be at the forefront of social justice movements and achieve equity and justice for workers, families, and communities.
