College of the Desert reaffirms support, resources for DACA recipients following appeals court ruling

College of the Desert is making a renewed push to highlight resources available to undocumented students, following a recent appeals court ruling that put the DACA Program in limbo once again. 

Last week, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit affirmed a lower court’s ruling deeming the program illegal. 

The program shields roughly 600,000 young immigrants from deportation. Those who have DACA currently can renew their status, but new applications are on pause while the legal battle plays out. 

It’s a lot of uncertainty for students like Jesus Vargas, whose application is on hold. However he said his family keeps him going. “They always give me hope everyday," Vargas explained.

Rubi Becerril-Gonzalez is a counselor at College of the Desert and provides assistance to students at the Dreamer Resource Center.

She herself is a DREAMer who works to help other undocumented students navigate life as such. 

“I'm also an alumni of the college. I received help to be able to graduate from here, transfer, and ultimately continue on to grad school," said Becerril-Gonzalez.

While undocumented students get some help through the Dream Act, the resources available to them are limited. That’s where the Dreamer Resource Center comes in. 

“For students who are undocumented, they can qualify for AB 540, which will exempt them from non-resident tuition, which means instead of paying $250 dollars they’ll pay $46,” said Becerril-Gonzalez.

COD Superintendent/President Dr. Martha Garcia issued a statement following the recent court ruling:  

"Dear Roadrunner Community,

Earlier this week, the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a ruling that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program violates federal law. The decision is deeply concerning for our campus community. The ongoing threat to end the DACA program has caused continued stress and uncertainty on those the program intended to protect – many of our students and employees. At College of the Desert and at the core of California Community Colleges, we believe everyone has the right to pursue their academic and career goals regardless of their national origin, race or creed, how they identify or their immigration status.  

The Fifth Circuit’s decision does not change the status quo that restricts new, first-time DACA applicants from applying. It does, however, provide a window of opportunity for current or recently-expired DACA recipients to reapply while a review is pending in the lower court. 

The College is committed to providing resources to our students, our robust Dreamer Resource Center serves as a hub to serve a resource to students. We encourage faculty and staff to refer students to the Center by contacting Counselor Rubi Becerril-Gonzalez at rbecerrilgonzalez@collegeofthedesert.edu.

The Center offers the following: 

- Free immigration legal services through our partnership with TODEC Legal Services;
- Mental health support through student health and wellness center; 
- Dedicated space with computer access, printing, study, lounge; 
- Dedicated counselor to assist with academics, matriculation, personal and career counseling;
- Dedicated scholarship opportunities; 
- Assistance completing financial aid applications; 
- Information hub for regular information updates for undocumented students. 

For additional resources to help support all undocumented California Community Colleges, visit this section of the Chancellor's Office website. 

For the last ten years, the DACA program has been protecting hundreds of thousands of undocumented students from the fear of deportation and supported an educated population and advanced socioeconomic stability for historically marginalized populations. DACA recipients are woven into the fabric of our community and play a vital role in our community as doctors, educators, essential workers and more.  

While the fate of the program is ultimately out of our control, we will continue to support our valued Roadrunners. Please know that College of the Desert is firmly committed to the belief that the undocumented community has a place at the College. We will continue to welcome and serve all of our campus community.   

We will continue to monitor this matter as it works its way through the court system, and we are committed to providing information and identifying resources for our undocumented community."