Reaffirming Support for Undocumented Students and All Students
De Anza College is reaffirming support for undocumented students and DACA students and employees, while acknowledging the uncertainty and anxiety that many are feeling about new federal policies and potential enforcement actions.
In an email to all students on Monday, President Omar Torres wrote: "I want to emphasize to you: We support ALL of our students at De Anza College" – including "undocumented students and our DACA students and employees." He sent a similar message to employees.
Posters have been placed around the college to help ensure that students and employees
know what to do in the unlikely event that immigration agents come to the De Anza campus.
The posters are a project of the Academic Senate, building on earlier efforts by HEFAS (Higher Education for AB 540 Students), in collaboration with the Office of Communications and President’s Office.
As the posters indicate, employees should follow these steps if Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents appear on campus:
- Notify the President’s office by calling 408.864.8705.
- Direct students to stay in their classroom, if they’re enrolled in the class. Otherwise, direct students and colleagues to a private office of a trusted individual, away from agents.
- Refer or escort agents to the President’s Office, ADM 127. (Don’t give consent for them to enter any facilities. Let the president decide this.)
- Stand by as a witness, if you feel comfortable doing so.
- Check in and share resources with students and colleagues.
Resources for undocumented students – including information about legal rights when confronted by authorities, as well as free legal services and mental health support – can be found on the college website at deanza.edu/students/undocumented.
In other recent actions,
- Last week, the Foothill-De Anza district Board of Trustees voted unanimously to approve a resolution declaring that colleges in the district will continue to maintain the privacy of student records and will not cooperate with any federal effort to create a registry of undocumented students.
- In December, the Academic and Classified senates both approved statements supporting undocumented students and members of other vulnerable groups, and separate resolutions on funding to support AB 540 and undocumented students.
- Also last month, the college and district administration allocated $60,000 per year to fund student internships and fellowships through the HEFAS program in academic years 2024-25 and 2025-26.
De Anza's administration has previously affirmed support for undocumented students in response to federal court rulings on the DACA program in 2023 and 2022, and reaffirmed support for all students last November.
(Posted on Jan. 21, 2025)