NIU students rallied earlier this month at the entrance of Northen Illinois University's administration building to call for an increase in support for undocumented students on campus. They say a commitment from the institution is important at a time of prevalent anti-immigrant sentiment in politics.
The students are part of Dream Action NIU, a student organization on campus that advocates for undocumented students.
One of their demands is for the university to create scholarships for housing and meal plans that undocumented studnets would also be eligible for. Several studies have found that students who live on campus perform better academically and have a higher retention rate compared to those who live off campus.
Wendy, a member of Dream Action NIU said, most undocumented students don’t live on campus because of the cost.
“And honestly, we are barely able to make it with tuition,” Wendy said. “Off campus there's another issue where a lot of times for us even be able to rent or lease apartments, we have to find places that take us as quote unquote, international students. So, we have extra hoops that we have to jump through.”
Alondra, the co-vice president of Dream Action NIU, added that commuting to school takes a toll on students.
“Obviously, they're tired and they always either have to bring lunch or buy food outside if they're here all day,” Alondra said. “That also prevents them from getting involved, because all their focus is just studying and going to class.”
Campus jobs
Another one of their demands is for the university to open up employment opportunities on campus for undocumented students who don’t have work authorization.
A student job at the campus library or a fellowship with the chemistry department? At present, undocumented students without work authorization are not eligible for those.
The NIU Undocumented Student Resource Center does offer a limited number of scholarships to undocumented students in lieu of pay for an internship on or off campus.
Professor Sandy Lopez, the head of the center, generates the scholarship funding through speaking fees and charging for ally training.
Alondra says despite that, there are limited opportunities.
“So, it's not just like, ‘Oh, I'm gonna apply for a job,’” she said. “It's just opportunities that may or may not come up, but it's not something that's available for all undocumented students. There's not that much funding since the funding is coming through Sandy and her trainings.”
Aspiring to be a teacher
Genesis would definitely welcome employment options. She’s undocumented and plans on graduating in the fall semester.
“So, knowing that there's opportunities for me,” she said, “whether that's on campus, even in my community, where I can continue to practice skills I've learned, regardless of my status, that would definitely give me a lot of certainty.”
Genesis says she strives to be the perfect student “just to prove to everyone else that I have [the same] worth [in terms of skills] of what my peers have,” she said. “But just because I wasn't born here, I can't pursue my career after I graduate.”
She majors in special education.
“And I know” she said, “I'm fully capable of being a great teacher.”
Genesis said she’ll be able to student-teach in the classroom, but unsure of her future after that.
She’s among the students left without some form of protection from deportation and with no work permit.
She said she applied for DACA just as the courts closed the program to new applicants.
“There has been nothing that has shown any sign of progress, and I'm honestly very frustrated,” she said. “I was honestly relying heavily on that work authorization, especially since I'm so close to graduating. It's all been just very uncertain.”
And her uncertainty may continue as the nation becomes increasingly polarized around immigration issues. Nevertheless, she calls on voters to consider folks like herself.
“I hope that our country can come to its senses and provide all undocumented people with the ability to work,” she said, “because we all have our people to provide for, we all have our aspirations, and we shouldn't be held back just because we weren't born here.”
California model
Dream Action NIU said California may provide a pathway or a model for legislative solutions to allow students regardless of their status to work on college campuses. Recently in the Golden State, a bill was introduced that would allow for the state’s undocumented students to qualify for jobs at public colleges and universities.
Northen Illinois University
In the meantime, the organization seeks to build on the university’s support for undocumented students.
And Dream Action NIU says they have the support of NIU President Lisa Freeman in that effort. An NIU spokesperson said the president meets annually with the group and expects to meet with their leadership in May.
Other demands
Dream Action NIU’s other demands include an onboard training that orients new hires on the experience of undocumented students and the resources available on campus.
They also call for NIU Foundation to dedicate funding to students with no work authorizations, especially graduate students who are excluded from teaching and research positions.
The student organization also lent their voice in support for an indigenous student resource center on campus.
