Stephany Cuevas, EdM Presentation at Science of HOPE This workshop is intended to help participants understand the circumstances and needs of undocumented immigrant populations. Existing scholarship shows that an undocumented status constrains immigrants’ access to social services and exposes them to unsafe and undesirable work conditions, how the consequences of this status are passed down from parents to children in the form of delayed early childhood development outcomes, and how it erects numerous barriers for undocumented immigrant students as they make adult and post-secondary transitions, such as limited job and college opportunities. This workshop will introduce participants to this population and the different barriers they face as a consequence of their immigration status. Furthermore, it will also expose participants to the concept of “UndocuAlly,” posing the question “how do we make ourselves visible allies to undocumented populations?” in order to begin to consider how we can better support this population in our work.

1. Understanding “Illegality”: The
Consequences and Impacts of
Immigration Status on Health and Well-
Being
Presenter:
Stephany Cuevas, Ed.M.
Harvard University
@estefa_nee

2. Session
Overview
Introductions
Terminology and Data
Experiences and Challenges
Laws and Policies
Best Practices

5. Legal information
vs. legal advice
Legal information involves educating a person about what the law is.
Legal advice involves making determinations or recommendations based on
analysis of the lay as it applies to a person’s specific situation.
THIS WORKSHOP IS NOT INTENDED TO PROVIDE LEGAL ADVICE.

6. Defining “Undocumented”
An undocumented individual is a non-citizen living in the United
States without authorization, in the form of valid immigration status,
from the federal government.
1) entered without inspection, or
2) entered with a valid visa or other status, and overstayed

7. Defining “Illegality”
“‘Illegality’ (much like citizenship) is a juridical status that entails a social relation to
the state; as such, migrant ‘illegality’ is a preeminently political identity (De
Genova, 2002, p.422).”
“Illegality” is “an erasure of legal personhood—a space of forced invisibility,
exclusion, subjugation, and repression that ‘materializes around [the
undocumented] wherever they go’ (p.30) in the form of real effects ranging from
hunger to unemployment (or more typically, severe exploitation) to violence to
death—that is nonetheless always already confounded by their substantive social
personhood (p.427).”

8. National
Estimates
• Of the total unauthorized population
of 11.5 million:
Mexico (60%) El Salvador (6%);
Guatemala (5%); Honduras (3%);
China (2%)
• 16.6 million people living in mixed-
status families (Dreby, 2015)
• Over 5 million US children reside
with at least 1 unauthorized
immigrant parent (Passel & Cohn,
2011)
Represents 8% of all US children
91% of these children are U.S.
Citizens

9. Undocumented Individuals:
• Face the threat of detention and/or deportation; “deportability”
• Psycho-social stress/ anxiety
• Vulnerable to workplace exploitation
• Parents’ stress and anxiety can also be passed on to their children
• Do not have permission to work
• Cannot leave the United States and return
• Cannot obtain Social Security Numbers
• Cannot obtain driver licenses in most states
• Are ineligible for most public benefits (including medical care and housing)
• Have challenges navigating systems

10. Overview of Laws and Policies
FEDERAL
Obtaining a green card
Comprehensive Immigration Reform
Deferred Action (DACA & DAPA)
Constitutional right to free K-12 public
education
STATE
In-state tuition at public universities
State-based financial aid
Professional licenses
Driver licenses

11. Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals
(DACA)
(UCD, 2015)

12. Deferred Action for Parents of American
Citizens and Lawful Permanent Residents
(DAPA) *
(UCD, 2015)

13. What Deferred Action is NOT
1. Permanent
2. Guaranteed
3. A law
4. Legal immigration status
5. A pathway to lawful permanent resident status or U.S.
citizenship

14. UndocuAlly
What is your role in supporting undocumented students
and families?

15. “It’s not supposed to be about you. It’s not supposed to be
about your feelings. It’s not supposed to be a way of
glorifying yourself at the expense of the folks you claim to
be an ally to. It’s not supposed to be a performance. It’s
supposed to be a way of living your life that doesn’t
reinforce the same oppressive behaviors you’re claiming to
be against…”
- Mia McKenzie, Black Girl Dangerous

16. Knowledgeable vs. Misinformed

17. Advise vs. Decide

18. Support vs. Expertise

19. Human vs. Subject

20. UndocuAlly: Individual Level
1
Connect with
Students and
Families
Check your privilege
Build rapport, credibility
Symbolic annihilation
“Keep it real” with students
and families
Ally vs. advocate
2
Advising and
Counseling
Politicized funds of
knowledge
Mentorship
Expand your network and
knowledge base
Academic and student
development
3
Create “Brave
Community” (de
Novais, 2016)
Visible support
Culturally and linguistically
relevant materials
Psycho-social support
Do not pressure self-
disclosure
(UCD, 2015)

21. UndocuAlly: Organizational Level
1
Environment,
Personnel, and
Resources
Revisit institutional mission
and values
Proactive vs. reactive staff
Familial engagement and
partnership
Consider “action plan” for
service streamlining
2
Organization as
Resource
Reconsider programming
and community
functions
Partner with organizations
Develop school guide
Develop college pathways
3 Accountability
Visible and continued
support for
undocumented
students and parents
On-going professional
development
Follow through and follow
up (constant check-ins)
(UCD, 2015)

22. Undocumented Student
Program (USP) at UC
Berkeley
Coding Strategy
● Green light: open to
undocumented students
● Yellow light: do not specify
immigration status
requirements; engage in
conversation
● Red light: nonnegotiable,
firm immigration status
requirements

23. How do we make ourselves visible allies to
undocumented students and parents?
In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges for undocumented
students and/ or undocumented parents?
Which area do you as an ally need to learn more about?

24. Additional Resources
Harvard Educational Review Special Issue- Dissolving Boundaries:
Understanding Undocumented Students’ Educational Experiences
Educators for Fair Consideration ( E4FC)
Educator Resources
Student Resources
My (Un)Documented Life Blog
United We Dream
DREAM Educational Empowerment Program (DEEP)
Undocumented Student Program (USP), UC Berkeley
Local immigration organizations

25. Thank you! CONTACT INFORMATION
Stephany Cuevas
stc656@mail.harvard.edu