March 13, 2025
Undocumented young people risked everything decades ago to “come out of the shadows” and push loudly and proudly for their right to stay in this country. That movement is, in large part, the reason that Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) exists. Yet there is still no path to citizenship for most undocumented immigrants and DACA has not accepted new applications since 2017, locking out most current high school and college-age students.
As the new Trump administration threatens mass deportation of immigrants, how will schools and students be impacted? What can we learn from the history of undocumented student activism?
This episode was recorded live at SXSW EDU, one of the largest education conferences in the country.
Guests:
- Vanesa Cruz Granados, Co-chair, Undocumented Student-led Network
- Blanca Hernandez, Immigrant rights’ advocate
This episode also features the voices of:
- Rafael Martinez, Assistant professor, Arizona State University, and author of “Illegalized: Undocumented Youth Movements in the United States”
- Jacky Neri Arias, Executive director of student experience and inclusion, Dominican University
- Alejandra, Undocumented student, University of California
Education Beat is a weekly podcast hosted by EdSource’s Zaidee Stavely and produced by Coby McDonald.