Though most University students fighting for the rights of undocumented students were elated by the implementation of President Barack Obama’s deferred action policy earlier this summer, they also expressed hesitation about the future of education for illegal immigrants.

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announced the program in June, which gives undocumented immigrants who fall under specific criteria the right to apply for deferred action status and legally remain in the United States for an additional two years.

LSA senior Luz Meza, co-founder of Migrant Immigrant Rights Advocacy, said though undocumented students around the country are rejoicing, they are also cautious of the temporary nature of the policy.

“(They thought) this is great,” Meza said. “(They) have some sort of relief, although this can be taken away at any moment, and (they) can be deported tomorrow.”

According to Napolitano’s memorandum, an undocumented immigrant qualifies if he or she came to the United States under the age of 16, has lived in the country for at least five years, has not been convicted of a crime, is under the age of 30 and has graduated from high school or was previously in the armed forces. In addition to meeting the criteria, eligible applicants must pay a fee of $465.

About 65,000 high school graduates nationwide fall under the category of undocumented immigrants, according to the College Board.

Unlike the failed DREAM Act, the deferred action policy is not a path toward citizenship, explained John Garcia, archive director of the Resource Center for Minority Data at Interuniversity Consortium for Political and Social Research.

“It’s limited,” Garcia said. “It’s not just saying that anybody that’s managed to come across here without papers legally can stay here. It’s a targeted group with specific qualifications that falls under this category, so it’s not like a blanket or amnesty, which a lot of people are opposed to.”

Meza said her undocumented peers are eager to fill out an application for a deferred action permit, despite the risk of putting their names on a list.

Meza, who grew up alongside many undocumented immigrants, said her direct contact with student-immigrants provided an inside look into the difficulties they face in American schools.

“We are just creating this community of unskilled and uneducated people just because some people think they don’t deserve an opportunity,” Meza said. “They’re not going anywhere; they’re not going to leave. There are millions of them they’re not just going to leave tomorrow. We really need to be aware that they are just like us and that they deserve to be here.”

Jose Franco — an undocumented immigrant and founder of One Michigan, a Detroit-based organization of young immigrants fighting for equal rights — said he hopes the new deferred action policy will eventually lead to adoption of the DREAM Act.

“I think it’s a great step forward, but people are still being deported and hopefully this leads to the DREAM Act passing,” Franco said.

Under the new policy, Franco said undocumented students are able to go to a non-profit organization or an immigration lawyer with the necessary paperwork to complete and send an application.

After receiving a permit, the student then must overcome the hurdle of paying for tuition.
Statewide organizations such as One Michigan and programs like the Coalition for Tuition Equality in Ann Arbor have continued to work toward extending in-state tuition to undocumented immigrants in Michigan.

Public Policy senior Kevin Mersol-Barg, the founder of CTE, said the organization strives to increase accessibility to higher education for undocumented students in the state.

“Our expressed mission is to make the University of Michigan more accessible to undocumented students and that means making University education more affordable in practical terms,” Mersol-Barg said.

The deferred action policy is a federal order and therefore does not impact individual state policies, meaning that undocumented immigrants interested in applying to the University of Michigan still cannot receive financial aid or the benefit of in-state tuition.

“For the most part, even though (the policy) solidifies itself with the federal government, in terms of participation and social service programs or access to in-state tuitions, all those are primarily state matters,” Garcia said.

Although the deferred action policy is temporary, making it difficult to implement permanent policy changes at the University level, Mersol-Barg said he believes it is still a move in the right direction.

“Any help is good help,” Mersol-Barg said. “Any way for them to gain employment, a social security number, a driver’s license.