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*Pseudonym was used to protect the identity of the student.

Ignorance, xenophobia, racism, discrimination, prejudice and hate; anti-immigrant individuals reinforce harmful ideologies against the undocumented community and other marginalized groups in the U.S. Undocumented students in college go through personal, social, and systemic hardships every day. These experiences in their professional development can drastically affect their lives after college.   

Carolina Diaz is an undocumented student at Grand View University. Diaz came to the U.S. when she was 2 years old. Life in the U.S. is all Diaz has ever known.   

“I don’t remember anything from Mexico. I was a baby. It wasn’t my choice,” Diaz said.  

Diaz addressed the misconception that all undocumented individuals willingly come to the U.S. and remain here simply out of preference.    

“If my parents saw there was potential in my hometown, they wouldn’t have immigrated to the Unites States, but they saw no other way,” Diaz said.   

Humanizing undocumented individuals is the first step to stopping criminalization and prejudice against them.     

“We are all human trying to be better. I am not a criminal; I am not doing anything illegal,” Diaz said.    

Ariana* is an also undocumented student at GV. She came to the U.S. in March of 2006 and has lived in Iowa ever since.    

“I couldn’t tell people I was born in Mexico because my mom told me I couldn’t. That made me feel like it was a secret,” Ariana said.   

Ariana knew she was a unique child due to a language barrier in elementary school that impeded her from interacting with her classmates. Ariana found comfort and closure in speaking to her elementary school lunch lady since she also spoke Spanish.    

“I found comfort in talking to the Spanish lady because she was the only person who spoke back,” Ariana said.  

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is a government program initiated by the Obama administration in August of 2012 for undocumented individuals who came to the U.S. as children. For DACA recipients, the program is a temporary solution that minimizes or delays the risk of deportation. Applicants must renew their applications to remain eligible for their work authorization and driver’s license.   

The Trump Administration ended the program for new applicants in September of 2017. However, in September of 2023, DACA made its way back into the discussions of the Supreme Court, but was ultimately ruled unlawful, leaving thousands of undocumented individuals without the possibility of receiving any sort of documentation. Nevertheless, DACA is not a pathway to citizenship, but a temporary relief for those who are vulnerable without proper documentation.  

In her high school years, Diaz knew of an accessible scholarship for undocumented students which paved a way for her college decisions. Diaz has relied on her older sister, who also went to college, for support. Her siblings are DACA recipients, but Diaz’s application was not accepted due to the program being ruled unlawful, therefore terminating new applicants.  

“I’m proud that my sister has it [DACA] but it sucks that I don’t. It’s just frustrating,” Diaz said.    

Ariana was also one of the thousands of DACA applicants who had their applications denied after DACA was ruled unlawful.    

“I thought I could finally feel safe in my own home. I felt like the United States was finally claiming me,” Ariana said.   

“When the program abruptly ended, my hope was replaced with dread,” she said.  

Ariana applied for a U Visa after being a victim of a crime when she was in 8th grade. If the proceedings accept her application, Ariana will have some form of documentation.    

“My immigration status is a part of my identity, but it does not define who I am,” Ariana said.   

Ariana has gone through her GVU academic career in hopes of seeing faculty, staff, and the student body be fully representative and supportive of minority communities, including undocumented individuals like herself. Her hopes for diversity have not been fully met.    

“It makes me feel disconnected from the campus community a lot. It made adjusting my freshman year really hard because there is a lot of people who are outwardly xenophobic and anti-immigrant,” Ariana said.    

During her freshman year at GVU, Ariana had a class in which her professor showed a video that used the term ‘illegal alien’ multiple times. She said this type of language is “dehumanizing” and “makes you feel like less of a person.”   

As much as undocumented individuals would want to advocate for themselves, it is very risky to do so, since they could be targeted for supporting a cause that many people in the U.S. are not in favor of.    

“It’s not like you can call them out for it because ‘why are you offended? It’s not about you…’ It’s hard to advocate for yourself that way,” Ariana said.   

When students and professors use the term ‘illegal alien’ in academic settings, it can make undocumented students feel excluded and devalued. The term ‘illegal’ is associated with criminals, criminal actions and criminal law. Being in the U.S. without permanent status or proper documentation is a civil violation, therefore being undocumented in the U.S. has to do with civil law. Using the words ‘illegal’ and ‘alien’ to refer to another human being may be seen as offensive, degrading, and cruel, and is simply incorrect. Political figures such as former President Donald Trump, Governor Ron De Santis, Governor Greg Abbott and Governor Kim Reynolds have reinforced using derogatory terms to describe undocumented individuals and have advocated for harmful legislation and the criminalization of undocumented individuals. Although, the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services claims “Illegal Aliens” and “Undocumented Immigrants” are interchange, there is an underlying social repercussion in using those words synonymously. According to the Northwest Immigrants Rights Project, an organization that advocates for the rights and liberties of immigrants, the correct and ethical way to describe a person in a country without authorization is undocumented. This humanizes their existence.   

“It makes me feel disconnected from the campus community because that’s how they would refer to me, but they do not know it’s me,” Ariana said.   

Diaz shared her desire for the unique struggle of undocumented students to be acknowledged and represented.   

“I just hope that with this, [GVU] becomes more aware of the difficulties that some students struggle with. Just like any other student struggles, we should also be recognized,” Diaz said.  

Ariana explained how the various panels that teams like Voz Latinx, the Black Student Union, GVU Pride, and the Multicultural Ambassadors host on campus that focus on diversity and inclusion are great ways to understand minority communities and be educated on how to approach topics like diversity.    

Undocumented students in college may also face several disadvantages when they begin to think about their futures since they may not have the same opportunities as their peers. Ariana explained the feeling of having the same capabilities and qualities as others, yet not being treated the same due to her status.    

“My status was a barrier and that made me very discouraged about my future, which made me kind of unmotivated for school, so that was very hard to deal with,” Ariana said.    

The lack of understanding about the undocumented community is what fuels stereotypes and misconceptions about undocumented people, like that they are uneducated or criminals.    

“Undocumented people aren’t all new immigrants with accents and stereotypically ‘fresh off the boat,’” Ariana said.   

A study revised in 2023 by the American Immigration Council President’s Alliance states that many undocumented college students unwillingly migrated to the U.S. at a young age which affects their status in receiving DACA.    

“While most undocumented students pursuing postsecondary education in the United States do not have DACA, the vast majority, accounting for three out of four undocumented students, came to the U.S. at a young age,” the study says.   

The study also states that undocumented students in higher education “fill severe skills shortages in those fields, positioning themselves to better support their families and communities, as well as the regional and national economies,” meaning their work benefits society and is very much in demand.   

What anti-immigrant individuals do not acknowledge is that undocumented people are human beings who do in fact exist in society, even though they do not outwardly confess their status.     

“Undocumented people are students, parents, educators, moms, siblings. They’re real people and they live among you,” Ariana said.    

Most undocumented college students are not eligible for work-study positions, federal scholarships, and other opportunities that require individuals to provide certain documentation. This is because these are matters that involve the federal government.   

Ariana said GVU certainly has made efforts to include immigrant students, but it takes a lot more than admitting them into college for their success. This means allowing them to have the same opportunities and access to resources as other students. 

This is because these are matters that involve the federal government.   

Ariana said GVU certainly has made efforts to include immigrant students, but it takes a lot more than admitting them into college for their success. This means allowing them to have the same opportunities and access to resources as other students.  

“I want them [GVU] to continue to advocate for the immigrant community by ensuring that everyone has equal opportunity to on-campus employment, leadership teams, internships here at GVU, stipend opportunities… all of them are opportunities that may not be available to all immigrant students,” Ariana said.    

Compensation opportunities for undocumented college students is not an unheard-of concept at other universities. However, some institutions’ administration may be hesitant to speak on these matters for various reasons or for the sake of their jobs.    

Vice President of Diversity Equity and Inclusion, or DEI for short, at Simpson College, Keyah Levy, declined to participate in an interview regarding this topic. The Center for Diversity & Inclusion at Buena Vista University also declined an interview request.    

After no answers from Drake University’s Director of Office of Equity and Inclusion, requests for communication were transferred to their campus Associate Provost of Equity and Inclusion Office. When no answers resulted from that email conversation, Executive Director of Human Resources Maureen De Armond ultimately communicated that she could not “respond in a way that is meaningful.” DEI Offiaces, Multicultural offices, and officers from Grinnell College, Iowa State University, University of Northern Iowa and University of Iowa did not reply to an interview request.    

The hesitation of both public and private institutions to participate in an interview on this topic may leave some to question why most people become uncomfortable to speak on certain topics that indeed correlate to human rights. The conversation over undocumented people becomes stigmatized.   

President of “Color of Love” club Endi Montalvo-Martinez from Iowa State University has experience working for the cause of people of color and minority groups. His work began as a Des Moines Public Schools student with the removal of Student Resource Officers at DMPS high schools, to his current work at Iowa State, which continues to advocate for BIPOC and marginalized students. This requires institutional change, much like the school-wide policies that Ariana wants to see at GVU.    

“It’s been really refreshing to know that we’ve cultivated a space where students feel comfortable enough to come week by week and get vulnerable with us and share community with us, but then also support us in our advocacy efforts,” Montalvo-Martinez said.    

Color of Love is an active club at ISU that organizes its work into different committee departments which include culture, community, advocacy, and more. The work of Color of Love includes events they host, such as their “Art Bombs” where art pieces are displayed by Color of Love members to bring awareness of a social justice issue to students. These kinds of efforts at institutions raise conversations among students and the school on controversial topics that may promote institutional change, according to Montalvo-Martinez. He said the process and experience of speaking with his institutions administration has been “eye-opening.”    

Montalvo-Martinez mentioned some barriers when it comes to student visibility and advocacy efforts.    

“They give the false sense of security of ‘yeah, I understand where you are coming from, that makes sense,’ but at the end of the day, they’re not ever gonna want to support you with this effort because that goes in direct opposition of what they are here to do or what they think,” Montalvo-Martinez said.   

Montalvo-Martinez and his team have additionally been granted seats at tables where conversations for advocacy and accommodations for students are had by ISU’s staff and faculty.  Montalvo-Martinez explained the process of advocating for the removal of Student Resource Officers (SROs) on ISU’s campus to the school’s administration.    

“We came with statistics; we came with student experiences. We came prepared for this meeting. They weren’t directly in a position against it, but it was like ‘oh, it’s not really in my control,’ absolving themselves from the responsibility of helping create that change…but you can support, you can uplift the voices, you can connect us to the people that we do need to get into contact with,” Montalvo-Martinez said.   

Every institution should give students the chance to have proactive conversations, yet there is a risk of running into a brick wall.   

Montalvo-Martinez describes working with members of administration who have gotten comfortable with the way things already are.    

“With them specifically, it’s not a direct ‘no’. It’s more of an alluding ‘no,’” Montalvo-Martinez said.   

Diversity, equity, inclusion, and multiculturalism is not an act that universities should use to reinforce a false image of their institutions. Implementing policies or solutions for equity for all students is vital for accurate representation and growth of minority groups.    

If institutions are not held accountable by students, staff and faculty for ensuring diversity, there will be no room for growth. Institutions can solve this by implementing inclusive and equitable policies for all students, hiring diverse staff and faculty, and other efforts to make students feel seen and included.     

“It’s really easy to come into a new environment where you already don’t feel welcome, where you feel it wasn’t created for you, and sometimes you feel it was created against you a lot of times,” Montalvo-Martinez said.   

Montalvo-Martinez’s work with removing SROs in schools is similar to that of advocating for undocumented students: Causing institutional and systematic change to prevent discrimination against any non-white individual. However, this is something that will most likely not come fast or easy, since there are many policies in place at universities that govern the established order that nobody questions or deviates from.    

“It doesn’t give students autonomy to decide what is best for them, which is really frustrating,” Montalvo-Martinez said.   

The struggle that Montalvo-Martinez spoke of may make students feel powerless, as they may feel they are not being represented or advocated for. This leaves all the advocacy efforts on them.  

“If I am being honest, this really does take a toll in your mental health… It’s really demanding work and it’s unforgiving,” Montalvo-Martinez said.   

Montalvo-Martinez said Color of Love is action-oriented since they work collectively to reach their goals. However, not everyone will share the same vision, even when it is about the safety and well-being of others.    

“It’s hard for people to dive into this work because one, they’ve never done it before, and two, they don’t have the same vision that a lot of people in Color of Love do,” Montalvo-Martinez said.   

Additional clubs centered around diversity, multiculturalism, and advocacy from other Iowa colleges did not respond to an interview request about experiences working with their institutions.   

In September of 2023, Ariana met with a trusted faculty member about her concerns and her experiences of being undocumented. This faculty member reached out to their colleague on GVU’s Diversity Advisory Team (DAT) representative Simone Sorteberg to continue the conversation.     

“The DAT has worked on several different initiatives to create a more inclusive campus for students,” Sorteberg said.    

The DAT started at GVU in Fall of 2019. They created GVU’s first diversity statement, something that sparked a foundation for their future endeavors.    

“Other universities have had diversity statements for a little longer than that. At that time, we also did a culture climate survey about students and faculty and staff experiences with bias and discrimination,” Sorteberg said.    

The work the DAT has done includes reporting experiences with diversity, biases, disclination, and more. They also work on making GVU more representative of the student body by having hiring processes be more diversified. The DAT seeks to have a representative at every interview committee so that candidates are in the best interests for the university. The Diversity Equity Inclusion micro-credentials is a training system that the DAT has also developed to enhance participation and immersing of DEI for faculty and staff.    

“Students need representation in the staff and faculty of people that look like them that have had similar experiences to them based on their identities,” Sorteberg said.    

The many barriers of an undocumented students’ academic career can be disheartening. However, Ariana said she appreciates one faculty member in particular who was one of the first individuals at GVU to help her go through the process of securing certain accessible opportunities.    

“They really asked some hard questions and reassured me that even though I couldn’t have the same opportunities as everyone else, I could still have the same experience, and that my work was valid, and that I deserve to have those opportunities, too,” Ariana said.   

To this day, members of the undocumented community are secretly fighting for their rights and to have the same opportunities as everyone else. Living among the shadows as a college student allows undocumented students to appreciate efforts of diversity equity and inclusion at universities. Nevertheless, there are still many conversations to be had and much work to be done.