Atlanta, GA – 14 student activists were arrested for occupying classrooms at three different universities in Georgia, the evening of Feb. 1 and early morning Feb. 2. They were part of an action of more than 90 students from more than ten different universities who were protesting the Georgia Supreme Court’s ruling banning undocumented students from suing the Board of Regents to gain in-state tuition. The court ruling effectively upholds the state’s policy that bans undocumented students from Georgia’s top five public colleges and universities.

The students staged the sit-ins at the University of Georgia in Athens and at two universities in Atlanta – Georgia State University and the Georgia Institute of Technology – to seek statements from the schools’ presidents that denounce both the ban on undocumented students and the Supreme Court’s decision.

The student’s actions coincided with the 56th anniversary of the first Greensboro, North Carolina sit-in of Feb. 1, 1960, during which four young Black men were arrested for ordering coffee at a segregated lunch counter. In the legacy of these courageous men, the occupiers demanded an end to Georgia’s racist segregationist policies against undocumented immigrant students. One student, Victor Morales, said in a statement that he was inspired by the North Carolina men, saying, “The Greensboro Four showed me the power of being committed to a goal beyond myself and what it means to be free.”

#AtlantaGA #undocumentedStudents #FreedomU

Milwaukee, WI – More than 50 students, faculty and community members held a rally at Marquette University, March 30, to call on the administration to establish a scholarship fund exclusively for undocumented students.

Organized by the Marquette chapter of Youth Empowered in the Struggle (YES), students marched into the rotunda of the Alumni Memorial Union, chanting “Undocumented and unafraid,” and “No justice, no peace.” Several students spoke to the urgency of the issue by providing personal testimonies of their own struggles trying to afford Marquette’s high tuition.

In the U.S., undocumented college students are not eligible for financial aid, thus leaving them in an extremely vulnerable position when seeking higher education. At schools like Marquette, where the yearly tuition is more than $34,000, it is nearly impossible for undocumented youth to afford to attend. Marquette, as a Jesuit institution, is supposed to live up to a tradition of high quality education that is accessible to all students, especially those who do not have the financial means or ability to otherwise attend college. However, Marquette has not fostered a welcoming community for the undocumented in its allocation of resources and funds.

One of the speakers, who identified as undocumented, commented on how she overcame living in the shadows, but said that her peers and the rest of the community live in the shadows because they fear discrimination. She declared, “Other universities have funds and special scholarships for Dreamers – I don’t see why Marquette shouldn't. Marquette, be the difference! Fight with us to make our campus undocumented friendly!”

Several of the speakers at the rally connected the struggles of undocumented students to other current struggles. Laree Pourier and Victoria Gokee-Rindal, leaders with the Native American Student Association, challenged the notion of the current borders and immigration by reminding the student body that they are on indigenous land. Pourier stated, “European immigrants stole the lands and abused the peoples, without documentation of consent. Who decides what is illegal?”

The group of students then marched to Zilber Hall to deliver a letter calling on the president of the university, Dr. Michael Lovell, to establish a scholarship fund exclusively for the undocumented. The students then marched back to the rotunda area and concluded the rally by committing to continue to pressure the administration on the matter of scholarships until the university is finally accessible to the undocumented.

#MilwaukeeWI #YouthEmpoweredInTheStruggle #undocumentedStudents

Students rallied, prayed, and protested over the course of last week at the Florida Capitol, organized by Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and members of the Florida Immigrant Coalition. Passing the bill hit a roadblock when some Republicans refused to move it out of committee or bring it to a floor vote. Students quickly mobilized, despite studying for final exams. Education For All activists arrived outside the Senate Chambers to sit-in and protest demanding Senate President Don Gaetz and the bill’s sponsor, Senator Latvala, put the bill onto the floor. With the constant presence of student organizers and press, the Senators passed H.B. 851 with a vote of 26 to 13. Now it is only a matter of days before Governor Rick Scott signs the bill into law.

Students in Florida won this victory by organizing on their campuses, passing student government resolutions, meeting with university administrators and presidents to gain their public support, and rallying outside and speaking at university board meetings. Statewide organizing by immigrant rights and student groups built a broad movement that the politicians were forced to respond to. Many of the student groups work within the national Education For All campaign, which fights for tuition equity throughout the country.

“I’m happy to announce that tuition equity has officially passed in the Florida Senate!” said Colleen Baublitz of SDS at a May Day event in Gainesville. “I also want to emphasize that the struggle does not end here. Students in Florida should keep fighting locally to protect these tuition waivers, and students in other states should fight for tuition equity, financial aid for undocumented students, and their admission into universities in states where it is still prohibited. The campaign is not over until equality for all immigrants is achieved.”

#TallahasseeFL #StudentMovement #immigrantRights #undocumentedStudents #instateTuition #HouseBill851

Currently many states deny undocumented high school students in-state tuition, even if they meet all other residency requirements. These institutions force students into making a difficult choice: either pay exorbitant out-of-state fees, or do not attend college at all. Chrisley Carpio, an SDS organizer at the University of Florida said, “President Obama’s DACA [Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals] program created this situation. It granted temporary immunity to a portion of undocumented immigrants but failed to solve any of the problems they face, including education. Now it’s up to individual states and colleges to make their own policies.”

Federal neglect, ‘States Rights’ to discriminate

Currently in two states – Alabama and South Carolina – the legislatures went so far as to ban undocumented students from attending college altogether. In Georgia, some schools ban undocumented students, but this legislation is currently under review. Even in states with tuition equity policies, where DACA students qualify for in-state fees, they remain unable to receive financial aid like the rest of their classmates.

Only five states – California, New Mexico, Minnesota, Texas and Illinois – grant these students aid. Stephanie Taylor, from the University of Minnesota says, “We want our chapters to pick up this campaign on their campuses. Where schools don’t have tuition equity we demand that they implement it. If tuition equity already exists we demand that undocumented students receive financial aid. In the states where it’s completely illegal for undocumented students to attend college, we want those laws repealed.”

The SDS National Working Committee enthusiastically accepted the proposal on the conference call. Two chapters, at the University of South Florida and the University of Florida, began organizing campaigns during the fall 2013 semester. After hearing about the success at these schools, other chapters around the country decided to take up the issue.

Gregory Lucero, from the Revolutionary Student Union in Utah said, “The struggle for education rights and legalization remains one of the most important fronts in the struggle. I’m really excited about the new direction SDS is going nationally. If we do this well, we can strike a huge blow against racial discrimination and oppression, while growing the student movement at the same time.”

If you’re interested in joining the fight for tuition equity and financial aid for undocumented students you can visit SDS at newsds.org and like the Facebook page Education for All Campaign.

#GainesvilleFL #ImmigrantRights #SDS #Antiracism #TuitionEquity #undocumentedStudents