At Folsom Lake College’s main administrative building, a flyer on the wall tells undocumented college students, “You can still go to college in California even with the current political climate.”

“Keep going,” it says. “You are not alone.”

Nearby is Alicia Alejo’s office at the Undocu-Falcons Center, where the student support specialist helps undocumented college students access pro bono legal consults, mental health appointments, food pantries and financial aid. But during the second Trump administration’s mass deportation campaign, she said, students are keeping a low profile, sometimes opting for online-only classes and rarely getting involved with campus life — making it harder to reach them.

“I haven’t encountered a student that’s been very, you know, loud and proud,” she said. Being outspoken about their immigration status could put a target on their backs, she added.

California has become both a model and an exception nationally for the opportunities it offers undocumented students to earn a degree and enter its skilled workforce. In recent years, the state has pioneered programs that pay undocumented students to volunteer at organizations relevant to their interests, offer grants to immigrant entrepreneurs and otherwise find alternatives to federal work authorization requirements that in many states can limit people’s ability to pursue careers.

“It’s a no-brainer that this is the future workforce of this country,” said Shirley Collado, CEO of the national nonprofit College Track. “And I think California has taken the very long-term position of ‘Let’s be very invested, let’s be very thoughtful, let’s be very creative about how to best invest in every human in this state who could contribute in a valuable way.’”

Yet because of its track record in supporting undocumented students, the left-leaning state is now enmeshed in a legal battle with the Trump administration over policies that make college more accessible, with the federal government arguing that by helping undocumented students, California is discriminating against U.S. citizens. At the same time, since last summer Californians have experienced sweeping enforcement raids that have sowed fear in immigrant neighborhoods across the state.

Read the full article about undocumented college students in California by Alexandra Villarreal at The Hechinger Report.