UC regents pave path for undocumented students who want to work on university campuses

For many college students, working at their campus bookstore or local coffee shop is a way to pay their tuition. That may not be an option for students who lack legal status or work permits.

That could change this fall.

The University of California regents gathered to discuss a pathway that could potentially hire UC campus students who do not have legal status or a work permit. On May 18, the 18 regents unanimously agreed on a pathway.

UC Davis, UC Berkeley, and UC Merced are just some of the nine campuses in the UC system close to Stockton.

Richard Leib, the UC Board of Regents chair, will establish a working group that will examine how and if a pathway for campus jobs can be legally set up. If there is a plan by the end of November, a policy will be presented to the board.

Leib described not allowing undocumented students to work on campus as "ludicrous" since the young people grew up and were educated in the United States — and have applied and been accepted into one of the most prestigious university systems in the world, he said

"We're educating them so they can go out in the workforce," Leib said. "It doesn't make sense. They want to work, and we're trying to give them that opportunity.”

At least four regents will be part of the working group, including UC President Michael V. Drake, Leib, the vice chair of the board, Gareth Elliott, and the former chair, John A. Pérez.

“Some would want us to challenge the law in general, which would be a law that would basically try to say that the courts don't have jurisdiction over state institutions on whether they can hire," Leib said. "In other words, there's an exception for the state, or in this case, the University of California, other state agencies would have the ability to do it. Based on a certain legal theory that has not yet been tested in court."

Whether other regents are added may depend on the quorum.

“As a regent, I feel it's my responsibility to give every one of our kids, every one of our UC students, the opportunity to have all the rights and privileges of a student,” said Jose M. Hernandez, UC regent, and former NASA astronaut.

Jobs and opportunities could mean being a research assistant, a teaching assistant, a grader, being a resident assistant, or working in any part of the school, including the library, cafeteria, or other areas.

Hernandez “has played a leadership role in this issue," Leib sad. He added that Hernandez was the one to bring the issue to his attention.

“I was so elated when we voted on Thursday that it was a unanimous vote by the board of regents to look at implementing a policy and form a working group to see how we can best implement the policies,” Hernandez said.

The board has been working behind the scenes for more than eight months on this issue, Hernandez said

In 2012, President Barack Obama created the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which temporarily protected students who were brought to the United States as children from being deported and gave them the opportunity to work legally. A DACA application had to be renewed every two years.

Students who had DACA in the past can renew, but those who planned on applying are not being granted that opportunity.

“That's the typical misconception is that they figured that most of these students are Mexican American," Hernandez said. "But if you see there are students from Europe, there are students from Africa, there are students from all over the world that are undocumented that are studying at the UC system."

The UC president informed the regents of $3 million that will be available from now until November “to provide some relief to the students," Hernandez said.

While some UC regents are worried about the backlash the university system may receive, Hernandez said he is not.

“Lots of colleagues are worried about that. But I look at the University of California system, as a trendsetter, as a leader, as the ones that are bold, and do things for the right reasons, regardless of possible repercussions, because it is the right thing to do,” Hernandez said.

The board has already received a letter of opposition from Congressman Darrell Issa. In the letter, he mentions he is “challenging the system” and will look into “taking federal funding from UC,” Hernandez said.

“I think it's a game changer. Because it provides a mechanism for these students to another form of financial aid. And I want to make clear we're not giving them a handout. They're working for it. We're just giving them the right to work. It's not a handout. But at the same time, they work, and they polish their resume, you know, they become more qualified when it's time to graduate and go out in the field and work.”

The working group has until November. If there is a policy, it could be implemented without the need for a vote from the full board, Lebi said.

Record reporter Angelaydet Rocha covers community news in Stockton and San Joaquin County. She can be reached at arocha@recordnet.com or on Twitter @AngelaydetRocha. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow.

This article originally appeared on The Record: UC regents pave path for undocumented students who want to work