By Immigration has become an important issue that both Republicans and Democrats want to tackle this election cycle.
Vice President Kamala Harris has said she will focus on securing the borders and fixing the “broken” immigration system if she were elected president of the United States.
She has said her main priority would be to pass the bipartisan border bill that failed to pass earlier this year. The bill would add the following:
- 1,500 new customs and border personnel;
- An additional 4,300 asylum officers to make the asylum process faster;
- Provide funding for an additional 100 immigration judges and staff;
- Provide $1.4 billion for cities and states to expedite work permits for people in the country to qualify.
One aspect that the bill seemingly lacks is how it will assist the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program and whether or not it will create a pathway to citizenship for other undocumented people.
In June, for the anniversary of DACA, Harris released a statement announcing that only Congress can ensure permanent protections and a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers.
Former President Donald Trump maintains an anti-immigration stance, but has made more aggressive promises on the matter. During a press conference in September, Trump said he wanted to be known as the “border president.” Trump’s immigration plan includes:
- Sealing the border;
- Carrying out the largest deportation operation in American history;
- Stopping the migrant crime epidemic and ‘invasion;’
- Ending birthright citizenship for children of immigrants.
In the past, Trump has said that he supports citizenship for DACA recipients, however, during his first term of presidency he did attempt to end the program.
The California State University system currently has the largest number of undocumented students in any university system in the country with approximately 10,000 undocumented students.
In 2017, the California Values Act (SB 54) was signed into law ensuring that no state and local resources would be used to support federal immigration enforcement and that schools would be on the list of safe spaces for communities.
Undocumented students at Long Beach State are experiencing mixed feelings regarding immigration in the upcoming election.
Cinthya Zyss, 28-year-old senior political science major, had DACA status until last year when she got married and her husband was able to petition for her permanent residency.
“Kicking us out wouldn’t be the solution since immigrants are an integral part of our society, ” Zyss said. “I think that having clear solutions to immigration would allow people to find more common ground and bridge the gap that we currently have on positions within immigration.”
Zyss said she hopes that the next administration is able to come up with a bipartisan solution that would allow for undocumented people to find pathways to be able to step out of the shadows.
She suggested “finding an appropriate pathway to citizenship within parameters of [U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services] that allows for immigrants to contribute to taxes and acquire equality within society.”
DACA recipient and marine biology major, Denisse Gonzalez Gutierrez, is in her senior year at CSULB. She said that she feels the upcoming election is chaotic.
“There’s many different views against the immigrant and DACA community I’m a part of. It’s a lot scary to be thinking about,” Gonzalez Gutierrez said. “If DACA were to end, it would mean I would have no income.”
Gonzalez Gutierrez said that she feels it is upsetting that no one in the Executive Office of the President of the United States has stepped into action since former President Barack Obama first announced the DACA program in 2012.
Undocumented students who attend CSULB can find support at the Dream Success Center. The DSC provides resources including:
- Counseling and mental health services;
- Free immigration legal services;
- DACA fee assistance;
- Academic and financial assistance and much more.
CSULB also provides additional resources including online information from organizations, hotlines and off-campus resources.
