Another inconvenient truth: the realities of supporting undocumented/DACAmented students within a private research institution

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Rochester. Margaret Warner Graduate School of Education and Human Development, 2020.The narrative of undocumented/DACAmented students is fraught with anxiety, financial challenges, and low enrollment and graduation rates. Nonetheless, the reality for this student population is currently on the verge of significant change. Colleges and universities across the United States that serve undocumented/DACAmented students are responding to the decision made by President Trump to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival program (DACA), as well as the injunctions that have been filed to reinstate the program (Mangan, 2017a; 2017b). DACA was an Executive Order enacted by President Obama in June 2012 that permitted eligibility for enrollment for undocumented individuals who met several rigorous requirements. The Executive Order protected thousands of young undocumented individuals from deportation, many of whom were brought to the United States as children. With DACA, undocumented youths received a renewable two-year work permit and a social security number. Many of these individuals used their status to secure scholarships, in-state tuition rates, and employment while in college. For the thousands of students who have benefited from DACA the future is uncertain, as they anxiously brace themselves for an outcome where they might lose the protection and privileges afforded to them since 2012 (Dickerson, 2017b). If the injunctions against the repeal of DACA are not successful, hopes of college graduation will have to be either postponed or abandoned, and the threat of deportation is now once again a reality (Dickerson, 2017b; National Immigration Law Center, 2017a). The upcoming months will be integral to this student population as the Supreme Court will be making a decision on the future of the DACA program. Higher education institutions have been reactive to these political pronouncements. In many instances, institutions are striving for ways to support their undocumented/ DACAmented students while they await federal legislation to guide their practices. This study explores how a private university serves (supports, retains, and protects) their undocumented/ DACAmented students in a political climate fraught with antiimmigrant rhetoric and policies. To garner insights on this query, a qualitative case study approach is taken. The researcher uses semi-structured interviews to investigate the influence of the institution’s culture and structure on the lives of these students. Validation theory and organizational theory are used as lenses to explore students’ experiences