Resources for Undocumented Students

Dear Campus Community,

Recent national discussions on immigration have understandably raised concerns and questions among many in our campus community, especially our undocumented students and their families. With this message, I want to reaffirm our university’s unwavering commitment to fostering an inclusive, supportive, and safe environment for all.

Today, I am pleased to announce the launch of our updated Student Resources website for undocumented students. This new resource hub provides accurate, up-to-date information about rights, legal services, and other critical support systems available to undocumented students and their families.

Here are some important reminders from the California State University (CSU) system that guide our approach:

• A CSU education is secure. There are no laws that prohibit someone from attending college, and CSU enrollment policies are not based on legal immigration status. The U.S. Constitution stipulates that all students have the right to receive an education, regardless of their immigration status. Furthermore, the Education Code of California states: “It is the policy of the State of California to afford all persons in public schools, regardless of their … immigration status, equal rights, and opportunities in the educational institutions of the state.” Ed. Code, § 220. 
• Financial aid options are available. State aid, institutional grants, scholarships, and loans are available to those students who qualify and complete a California Dream Act Application. Through programs such as the Central Valley College Corps Program, which offers up to $10,000 per year, and other funding opportunities, we remain committed to helping our students achieve their academic goals. 
• Support is here. Free immigration legal services are available for CSU students, employees, their families, alumni, and newly admitted students.

Every individual in the U.S. has the right to legal due process under the Constitution, and Fresno State remains steadfast in ensuring that all members of our community feel safe and supported. I encourage our campus community to explore our new website, so we can all be informed. I also encourage our undocumented students to connect with our Dream Success Center, which offers personalized guidance and resources to help navigate these challenges. Additionally, we are grateful to the CSU for its strong advocacy on behalf of all students and for the comprehensive resources it provides. At Fresno State, we celebrate the resilience, determination, and invaluable contributions of our undocumented students. 

Together, we are a stronger, more vibrant community.

Sincerely,

Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval, Ph.D.
President

Dear Campus Community,

In light of recent news reports and inquiries, we want to ensure that everyone is equipped with the resources and information needed to navigate interactions with immigration enforcement officials in the event they come to campus. Below, you will find important tools, guidelines, and upcoming opportunities for education.

Resources:

The regional Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) offers a Know Your Rights Red Card, which is designed to help individuals communicate their rights in encounters with immigration officials.  ASI has printed Red Cards and made them available to the campus community.  

• Red Cards are available on campus, in our Dream Success Center, the Library, the Latinx Affinity Room in the Cross Cultural and Gender Center and the welcome center of the Resnick Student Union.
• Red Cards are also available for download here in a variety of languages.

What to do if contacted by an immigration official:

If you’re approached by an immigration official on campus or by phone, please refer them to Terree Stevenson, Dean of Students, at (559) 278-6561, who is our designated campus official to interface with immigration officials. If Dean Stevenson is not available, please contact Lieutenant Madrigal with the Fresno State Police Department at (559) 278-8400. It is important to inform the enforcement official that you are not obstructing their process but need to consult with the appropriate campus designees.

Employee, student and personally identifiable information in university records are protected by a variety of privacy rights and university policies–including the Family Education Rights & Privacy Act [FERPA] and privacy rights of personnel records.  

University employees are required to maintain the confidentiality of personal and personally identifiable information, and records containing such information.

Upcoming Informational Webinar: 

This webinar will be presented by the Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC):

Immigration Know Your Rights and Advocate Training

• Date: Thursday, January 16, 2025
• English Session: 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM PT | Spanish Session: 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM PT
• Subject: Training for advocates on Know Your Rights basics and how to lead their own training sessions.
• Register for English Session | Register for Spanish Session

For more context on the resources we’ve shared with the campus community, please visit our Student Resources website for undocumented students; this website will be updated as information becomes available.  

Thank you for your continued efforts to support our students and campus community. 

Sincerely,

Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval, Ph.D.

President

• This is the most typical type of warrant used by immigration enforcement officials.
• It is NOT issued by a court judge.
• It does NOT grant any special power to compel university personnel to cooperate with his/her requests.
• You are NOT required to assist with the apprehension of a person identified in an ICE administrative warrant, provide student records, or consent to their search of a campus facility.

• You do not need to immediately comply and can challenge it before a judge.

• You do not need to immediately comply. Contact Dean Stevenson to recieve further direction. 

• It does NOT authorize an individual’s arrest. 
• It does NOT require university staff to take any action or cooperate with the officer.  

• Dream Success Center
• Central Valley College Corps Program

• Resources for Undocumented Students website
• Free Legal Services
• FAQs for CSU Employees about Federal Immigration Enforcement Actions on University Property

• Consulate of Mexico
• Central Valley Immigration Integration Collaborative
• Immigrant Legal Resource Center

• Know your immigration rights
• Protect yourself from immigration scams
• California Student Aid Commission
• Promoting a Safe and Secure Campus for All

A non-citizen who is residing in the U.S. without legal immigration status. Undocumented persons include those who originally entered the U.S. legally for a temporary stay and overstayed or worked without DHS permission and those who entered without inspection. 

The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, commonly known as DACA is an administrative relief that protects certain immigrants who were brought to the United States when they were children from deportation. DACA gives undocumented immigrants: 1) protection from deportation, and 2) work authorization. The program requires that the DACA status and work authorization be renewed every two years.

Issued to non-citizens granted permanent residence. It is also referred to as having a Lawful Permanent Residency Card or Green Card. A lawful permanent resident is someone lawfully admitted to the U.S. for permanent residence. Immigrants can become LPRs through family or employer sponsorship, refugee or asylee status, humanitarian programs, or by obtaining a U-Visa or T-Visa. LPRs enjoy most of the same rights and obligations as U.S. citizens, except for voting and holding certain public offices. However, they can be deported for certain offenses, including some misdemeanors. After five years (three years if through marriage to a U.S. citizen), an LPR can apply for U.S. citizenship. 

Assembly Bill (AB) 540 was signed into law in 2001. California Nonresident Tuition Exemption commonly known as AB 540, exempts certain students from paying nonresident tuition (higher than resident tuition) and/or allows them to apply for and receive state aid at certain California public and private colleges. 

Assembly Bill (AB) 1096, deletes the word “alien” wherever it appears in the codes and replaces it with various terms such as non-citizen, immigrant, non-immigrant, or persons unlawfully in the United States. 

A legal status granted to a person who has suffered harm or who fears harm because of their race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group.

A person who has been granted asylum in the U.S. immediately after obtaining asylum, asylees are authorized to work in the U.S., and one year later, an asylee can apply for lawful permanent resident (LPR)  status. Five years after being granted LPR status as a former asylee, the person can apply for citizenship.

A person seeking asylum or refuge in the country in which they currently reside due to persecution faced in their native country. Often people who apply for asylum at an airport or other point of entry into the United States are detained. The difference between refugees and asylum seekers is that asylum seekers are physically present in the United States or at a U.S. border and are seeking permission to remain in the United States, while refugees are outside the U.S. and are seeking resettlement in the U.S.

A person who is granted permission to enter the U.S. legally because of harm or feared harm due to his/her race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group. Unlike an asylum applicant, a refugee must meet this definition while outside of the United States and enters the U.S. with refugee status. One year after arriving in the U.S., a refugee can apply to become a lawful permanent resident (LPR), and after five more years, can apply for U.S. citizenship.

An individual who is a U.S. citizen or legal resident in the U.S., but other family members are not.

A status allowing residence and employment authorization to the nationals of foreign states for a period of not less than 6 months or more than 18 months, when such state (or states) has been appropriately designated by the Attorney General because of extraordinarily and temporary conditions in such state (or states).

A person admitted to the U.S. for a temporary period and a specific purpose.