For nearly a minute, the panelist fought to hold back tears. Her voice, though she was speaking quietly, seemed loud in a room that had grown silent.
“It was through [my mom’s] sacrifices that my brother and I are here, and my father is here,” said the sophomore economics major and undocumented student, telling the story of how her mom used to work illegally in a Korean hair salon to put food on the table for her family. The student asked to be kept anonymous because she did not want to come out publicly as undocumented.
About 30 students gathered for Maryland Leadership Institute 2016: Undocumented Terps in the Margaret Brent Room in Stamp Student Union on Wednesday night to learn about undocumented students at the University of Maryland and their experiences assimilating and navigating their education and careers.
Hosted by the Office of Multicultural Involvement & Community Advocacy, the Asian American Studies Program and the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, the event included a film screening, discussion, info session and panel with two undocumented speakers — an undergraduate student and a journalist.
“Just having the students here, you could see that willingness to learn what’s truly happening in the community and how to support these students,” said Kai Kai Mascareñas, graduate coordinator for Asian Pacific American and Pacific Islander student involvement and community advocacy, who moderated the event.
As of this past fall, there were 121 undocumented students receiving in-state tuition at this university through Maryland’s Dream Act and the federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, according to the registrar’s office. Thirty-three of these students qualified through the Dream Act and 88 qualified through DACA.
The federal Dream Act, initially introduced in 2001, has not yet been passed. However, Maryland voters approved the state’s own Dream Act in 2012, and at least 20 states “have passed tuition equity policies for immigrant students,” according to USA Today.
The Dream Act took effect at this university in spring 2013, and DACA was implemented here in fall 2013.
“I am absolutely, completely supportive of [undocumented students] coming here, provided they meet with the conditions and pay in-state tuition,” university President Wallace Loh said. “They’re going to live here, so they might as well be active contributors to society.”
For undocumented student Mwewa Sumbwe, a sophomore public health science major who did not attend the Undocumented Terps event, her nationalization status exacerbated the college application process.
“All of the other schools I was applying to would treat me as an international student if I would go out-of-state,” said Sumbwe, who came to this country from Zambia when she was 4 years old to get a better education.
All University System of Maryland institutions provide in-state tuition opportunities for Dream Act and DACA students, Michelle Tan, assistant registrar for graduate degree clearance and residency classification, wrote in an email.
While Loh said undocumented students are treated equally at school, they still face numerous restrictions in society. Some examples mentioned Wednesday included limited access to a driver’s license, no access to federal funding, ineligibility for numerous paid internships and difficulty traveling.
Even if they want to, most undocumented people cannot apply for permanent residency or citizenship because there is “no real legislation or reform or anything that allows us to apply for residency status or citizen status,” said Bibiana Valdes, a junior electrical engineering major who is undocumented.
A recent problem for Valdes — who came to the U.S. with her single mom when she was 9 years old to escape Mexico’s corruption — is the limitations in pursuing her engineering career, she said.
“Being an immigrant … it’s just always there,” said Valdes, who did not attend the event. “Engineering companies and jobs require you to be a permanent resident or a citizen, which is something I am not. I am qualified in every other area. … I can’t be just like everyone else.”
There is also the looming fear of deportation if policy such as DACA is revoked under a new presidential administration, Valdes said. Republican presidential candidates Donald Trump, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio have said they would revoke DACA. Obama’s expansion of DACA, introduced in February 2014, has also been held up and is expecting a Supreme Court ruling in June.
Prince George’s County school officials saw a drop in secondary education attendance for Latino students in January due to fear of federal immigration raids, according to a Feb. 25 Washington Post article.
Senior American studies major Alexander Pryor said attending the event put into perspective the reality many of these undocumented students face, and it was “really good to have a thorough overview of how this kind of facet of society works.”
For Sumbwe, where she belongs isn’t a question.
“As far as I’m concerned, I’m American,” she said. “I was raised in an American culture.”
While this university has made strides in welcoming undocumented students, Mascareñas said, one needed change is more visibility regarding the services the university provides.
“What I think would be necessary is creating a page on the website saying what are the resources for undocumented students: How does my financial aid process look like? Do I even have access to financial aid?” she said. “Having those frequently asked questions would be really helpful.”
Senior staff writer Darcy Costello contributed to this report.
