CORRECTION [1/28/2025, 12:31 p.m.]: A previous version of this article stated that only USS was hosting workshops in the upcoming weeks, this article has been corrected to reflect that multiple departments on campus will be holding workshops.

The names of students in attendance at the town hall are kept anonymous to protect their immigration statuses.

“What next?” was the central question at the Undocumented Student Services town hall at the MultiCultural Center lounge on Jan. 15, where students, faculty and staff shared immigration-related fears. 

Candell emphasized that the FERPA Act protects identifiable information of students’ educational records from being shared with third parties. Lizzy Rager / Daily Nexus

Immigration was a central campaign issue for President re-elect Donald Trump in the recent election, with promises of “mass deportations,” impenetrable borders and restrictions on asylum access. He vowed to initiate “the largest domestic deportation operation in American history,” beginning his first day in office, Jan. 20. 

An estimated 86,000 students in California colleges and universities are undocumented, and about 6,800 employees in TK-12 schools, colleges and universities have temporary work permits and protections under Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), according to the Higher Ed Immigration Portal. Amid concerns on campus of how students who are undocumented or from mixed-status families might be impacted, UCSB’s Undocumented Student Services (USS) organized a town hall to review state and federal policy and provide a space for community discussion. 

With roughly 40 attendees, the town hall featured members of Improving Dreams, Equality Access and Success (I.D.E.A.S), USS and the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships. 

“There is a new president coming into office. We know who he is, and we know all of the horrible rhetoric he has said about the undocumented community, so we found it important to bring everybody together in order to have a sense of community on campus, inform you about your rights and your protections and give you a space to be heard,” USS Director Melissa Candell said. 

Several federal policies offer general protections to students. Candell emphasized that the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) protects identifiable information of students’ educational records from being shared to third parties without students’ written consent. However, some exceptions apply, like records requested university law enforcement such as the University of California (UC) Police Department.

The California Dream Act, which provides grants to undocumented students across the state, also hides student data from federal agencies. The California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) — the agency that administers the grant money — announced they would protect student information in a webinar on Jan. 14.

Data collected through the California Dream Act is also protected by the Privacy Act and the Higher Education Act. 

“If, at any point, that were to change, there would have to be congressional action for the Trump administration to access those records,” Candell said. In the “worst-case scenario,” if a bill passed by Congress reverses those acts, it would only be effective going forward and not retroactively.

In the case of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (I.C.E.) raid happening on campus, which has never happened at UCSB, campus police are not allowed to give out student information per Senate Bill 54. However, Candell said, campus police cannot interfere with I.C.E. on campus either.

“Campus police also cannot initiate contact, question, retain or arrest any students, employees or other person on campus on the basis of his or her suspected undocumented immigration status, or question them to find out their immigration status,” Candell said. “And they also are prohibited from providing personal information of a student, such as a course schedule, home address, physical description of a person to an individual for immigration enforcement.”

During the town hall, UC Immigrant Legal Services attorney Amber Spring led a workshop highlighting free immigration legal services available to students and their family members via the UC Immigration Legal Services Center. The center specializes in DACA renewals, Special Immigration Juvenile Status, U-visas, Temporary Protected Status and other immigration legal advice such as providing representation if an individual is detained. 

“Although these are uncertain times, you should know what your rights are, what options you might have available to you before immigration, right now, and what options might be available to you should you or someone you know, be placed in renewal proceedings,” Spring said. 

I.C.E. agents are only supposed to stop people under probable cause. These stops are more likely to occur at I.C.E. checkpoints and places where I.C.E. feels that undocumented immigrants are more likely to occupy. According to the American Civil Liberties Union, immigration checkpoints can be located up to 100 miles from the U.S. border, including the coast. 

This means Santa Barbara could have checkpoints in the future. This would consist of border patrol agents stopping vehicles to do a search and verify proof of citizenship or residency status. Although I.C.E. was not present on campus during the last Trump administration, Spring said individuals should still be prepared by making a plan for possible interactions with ICE. 

She said individuals should remain calm and recall their aforementioned constitutional rights. In addition, nothing should be signed without the presence of an attorney. Spring also recommended having the phone numbers of an emergency contact and an immigration attorney memorized. She noted that those detained in Santa Barbara would be sent to the Adelanto I.C.E. Processing Center. 

“You just want to make sure that we’re not instilling more fear. That’s the goal of the upcoming administration, is to instill fear. So just remain calm,” Spring said.

According to Spring, due to a limited amount of federal resources available for removal proceedings, Trump’s administration will focus on removal proceedings for individuals who have entered after Nov. 1, 2020, participate in severe criminal acts, are a threat to public safety, have violated their visas or other case-by-case scenarios. 

In Trump’s inauguration speech on Jan. 20, he confirmed that he is prioritizing deportation efforts on undocumented immigrants with criminal records. 

Contact with I.C.E. does not automatically mean an individual will be put into removal proceedings. If they are, a hearing must occur and there is the possibility of a cancellation of removal. 

Considering that Trump is prioritizing those with criminal records, Spring said that although most students don’t have an extensive criminal history, one of the most prominent is substance charges. Although marijuana is legal in California, it is still illegal under federal law. As I.C.E. is a federal agency, possession of marijuana can still have immigration consequences

A single driving under the influence (DUI) charge may not be enough for inadmissibility — not being permitted to enter or remain in the United States — but it may be used against an individual when applying for legal residency and DACA, especially if they have a criminal record. 

Spring emphasized that regardless of immigration status, students have constitutional rights. Under the Fourth Amendment, the government cannot conduct “unreasonable” searches and seizures. The Fifth Amendment contains one’s right to remain silent, which can be especially applicable in encounters with I.C.E. 

Red Cards created by the Immigrant Legal Resource Center may help individuals recall their rights during an encounter, which Spring recommends putting inside your wallet. Red Cards assert what your rights are and can be given to law enforcement agencies to assert those rights.

“Many people get really nervous in these kinds of situations, and they’ll just sign to really end the situation. That’s not good. Make sure you’re remaining silent, not signing anything and that you’re talking to a lawyer before you make any decisions,” Spring said.

During the question and answer session, an anonymous question was posed regarding what an individual should do if they’re stopped at or after a party. Spring said that citations vary but that infractions and misdemeanors don’t usually lead to I.C.E. interactions. If a ticket is given, complying with all the requirements is unlikely to trigger an immigration violation.  

Another question posed was whether there were any places on campus where I.C.E. would not be able to enter. With a warrant, I.C.E. can enter most spaces, however, attendees highlighted that certain places such as the library after-hours may be harder to enter since it requires an access card. 

Toward the end of the event, student organization and support network for undocumented students I.D.E.A.S. invited attendees to “shoot for the moon” on what they’d like to see in an ideal world.

“It’s okay if you just land on the stars, but at least you’re shooting for something that you would dream of having in this ‘perfect world,’” an I.D.E.A.S. member said. “What do you need to be sustained in this campus?”

Suggestions included more community-building events, a statement of support from Chancellor Henry T. Yang, help with housing, vocal allyship from professors and help with the post-college transition. 

“It’s not easy to talk about what you need, right? It requires a lot of courage and a lot of like, comfort with the person that you’re speaking to be able to say, ‘Hey, this is what I need,’ right?” Candell said. “So for them to receive support without having to ask for it is really significant. As we head into the next couple of years, I feel really positively about being able to rely and work with our partners and the allyship that’s being built on campus.”

Executive Director of Financial Aid and Scholarships, Jennifer Achan announced during the town hall that students who have submitted a Dream Act application and qualify for CalFresh will automatically receive parallel funds as soon as next month. More information will be announced in the coming weeks. 

The USS, Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships (OFAS), Educational Opportunities Program, Transfer Student Center and Opening New Doors to Accelerating Success Student Center (ONDAS) are hosting several Free Application for Student Aid and Dream Act workshops in the next few weeks. At the time of this article, UC Santa Barbara has not yet provided a statement on Trump’s immigration initiatives.

A version of this article appeared on p. 1 of the Jan. 23, 2025 edition of the Daily Nexus.

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Michelle Cisneros
Michelle Cisneros (she/her) is the Community Outreach News Editor for the 2024-25 school year. Previously, Cisneros was the Assistant News Editor for the 2023-24 school year. She can be reached at michellecisneros@dailynexus.com or news@dailynexus.com.
Lizzy Rager
Lizzy Rager (she/her) is the Lead News Editor for the 2024-25 school year. She can be reached at lizzyrager@dailynexus.com