How Faculty Can Help Undocumented Students

Know your institutional policies; try to know your state laws, your local and national advocacy organizations that are working for comprehensive immigration reform, and your state and federal representatives.
If you live in a state that offers in-state tuition for undocumented students, advocate for clear communication of policies to faculty, staff, students, and feeder high schools.
Work with your college or university foundation to open up existing scholarships to undocumented students and to create additional scholarships specifically for undocumented students.
At faculty and administrative meetings, ask how policies and programs will affect undocumented students.
Find out what your institution’s enrollment, retention, and graduation data are for undocumented students: is the institution serving the students or simply enrolling them?
Create awareness of immigration reform by asking your “on-campus” immigration experts to give a public talk, or bring in community speakers, films, and local advocacy organizations.
If a student tells you he or she is undocumented, validate the student’s experience as significant and listen.
Challenge language and media representations.
Do not provide legal advice, but do connect students to community organizations that can.
Connect students to on-campus advocates, student groups, and resources; support those groups.