Undocumented College Students Face Career Barriers Amid DACA Stalemate
As the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals reviews DACA’s future, NYC undocumented students and organizers navigate uncertain job prospects, despite academic achievements.
By Katherine Lin
Photos courtesy of Nyoman Cerrens (left) and Angy Rivera and Christine Nabung (middle and right)
“Being undocumented is always fearful. Now add to that the fear that your education was useless,” said Mahir Sadad.
Like many other second year college students during the pandemic, Sadad was looking for an internship. He was a first generation student and political science major at Macaulay Honors College at the City University of New York but was told by a staff member that he couldn’t get a paid internship because he was undocumented.
For the 408,000 undocumented college students in the United States, finding work during and after college can feel like a hopeless undertaking. While the Obama era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or “DACA” created a pathway to legal work authorization for undocumented immigrants who were brought to the US as children, this program stopped approving new applications in 2021.
There are a growing number of undocumented college students, almost seven times the number compared to 20 years ago. More colleges and states now offer financial aid and in-state tuition to undocumented students, and more undocumented students are graduating from high school. Despite being encouraged to attend college, students feel their future is insecure without a meaningful way to pursue their career dreams and the continuing legal gridlock.
In Sadad’s case, the warning he was given about pursuing a paid internship was only half true—and if he had taken that assumption to heart, he might not have found another route to paid professional experience.
In 2021, when Sadad was a sophomore, one of the school’s deans forwarded Sadad an opportunity for an immigrant student ambassador role with the New York City Department of Education. He was eligible to receive a stipend and worked there for almost three years working with immigrant students and educators.
His work in the immigrant space continued to grow both from the grassroots organizing side and the more academic side of policy; he felt that he had valuable skills that could support his fellow undocumented students. After graduating in May 2024, Sadad now works as a College & Career Advisor at CUNY K16 Initiatives helping high school students plan out their post graduation plans.
“It’s actually scary for me to think how much of my future leaned on the fact that I ignored their conclusion that paid opportunities were not possible for me,” said Sadad.
He’s watched other undocumented students enter college believing that their education will open doors, optimistic about the future. He’s been with them as they become frustrated and jaded when they realize how little resources are available to them and how many opportunities they’re excluded from. Even if they perform well in classes, even if they reach out to their professors and advisors, often paid internships and jobs are just not available to them.
While some colleges have resources to support undocumented students, not all do and many have encouraged students towards entrepreneurship. It’s easy to say that entrepreneurship is the answer, but starting a business is one of the hardest things you can do. Almost half of businesses in the United States fail within the first five years. Even nonprofits and schools that provide resources for undocumented students say that it’s not for everyone and that it’s especially hard for students.
“Entrepreneurship is really risky,” Angy Rivera, Co-Executive Director of New York State Youth Leadership Council cautioned. She explained how undocumented entrepreneurs tend to struggle without a consistent stream of income. The constant hustle can feel overwhelming and create burnout.
After fleeing Colombia with her mother, Rivera grew up in Queens thinking her immigration status would not have a big impact on her life. She says that in the early 2000’s when she was in high school and starting college, there were no financial resources available to undocumented students. “We were taught to live in silence and in secret,” she said. Unfettered, she discovered the Youth Leadership Council in 2009 to advocate for the Dream Act, a congressional bill that would give undocumented immigrants who came to the US as children work authorization and a path to permanent residency.
The Youth Leadership Council teaches high school and college students how to start their own businesses, file taxes and find healthcare. They have stepped in to help undocumented college students with limited access to resources and guidance, monetize their skills and get cash through graphic design, tutoring, baby sitting and translating. They also connect them to other undocumented professionals and organizations that can help them with licensing and training.
“You’re trying to give hope but you don’t want to set them up to fail or give them unrealistic expectations,” said Rivera. She frequently reminds herself and her students to redefine what success looks like for them and to celebrate work in all its forms, whether it’s a white collar job, dog walking or working at a laundromat.
In some ways, “it’s kind of being back in square one” now that DACA is in legal limbo, according to Rivera.
DACA” was established in 2012 through an executive order by then president Barack Obama. It allowed young undocumented immigrants who had spent most of their lives in the United States to have legal residency and work authorization.
DACA provided economic opportunity to hundreds of thousands of young people, sometimes referred to as “dreamers.” Studies have shown that college graduates under DACA earned over twice as much as undocumented college graduates before the legislation was passed.
In 2017, President Donald Trump ended DACA, this move has been followed by endless court battles. In the latest iteration, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals will hear arguments on October 10.
The result is that no new applications have been processed since 2021 and DACA eligibility is still contingent on the person having arrived in the United States prior to 2007. According to the American Immigration Council, the number of undocumented college students eligible for DACA has declined. In 2023, nearly all of New York State’s estimated 7,000 undocumented high school graduates were ineligible for DACA and by 2025 there will be none.
“DACA has always been a band aid solution,” said Christine Nabung, a community organizer with RAISE, a New York City and Boston based group advocating for and mobilizing undocumented Asians and Pacific Islanders. “A lot of us have lost hope towards it”
Nabung says many undocumented students were told a narrative that education would be the answer but she says they’re often left feeling stuck on what’s next after graduation and how they will make a living.
In the face of an uncertain future for undocumented students, organizers and advocates like Sadad, Nabung and Rivera continue their work.
“I try to ground myself in leaving things better in how I found them,” Rivera said, “We’re moving forward a little bit and creating a sense of community.”