Legal Information

UC Berkeley's Undocumented Student Program (USP) — a component of the Centers for Educational Equity and Excellence — provides guidance and support to undocumented undergraduates at Cal. Here are some resources and information from the USP website that we find helpful.

Updated FAQs on DACA Repeal - Sept. 5, 2017

In order to keep you informed and up-to-date on your rights and filing deadlines, Prerna Lal, the Undocumented Students Program immigration attorney, has updated FAQs on President Trump's Sept. 5, 2017, DACA repeal announcement.

Travel Warning for DACA Recipients - Updated FAQs Feb. 14, 2017

Please note that while DACA and advance parole remain in place for now, the Trump Administration is moving to curtail the use of parole.

Updated FAQs on DACA - Feb. 14, 2017

In order to keep you informed and up-to-date on your rights, Prerna Lal, the Undocumented Students Program immigration attorney, has updated FAQs on Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).

Fact Sheet & Resources on Trump Executive Actions on Immigration

 The Undocumented Students Program immigration attorney, Prerna Lal, has created a timely resource list on Trump's executive action on immigration that explains the order and also includes travel warnings and information on Advance Parole Warning for DACA Recepients. 

USP Election Response

After a divisive election year, we remain hopeful and ready to work to support policies that protect the dignity of all our students and families.

President-elect Donald Trump has made various statements about what he would do as president. But it remains to be seen what policies he can or will adopt. We recognize the fear immigrant families may be experiencing. We strongly advise that families stay informed and engaged in upcoming policy discussions that will directly affect their lives.

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Post-election FAQs

The election of Donald Trump, coupled with the election of a Republican-leaning Congress, could give rise to dramatic and unprecedented changes in immigration law enforcement and policy. Despite many of President Obama's immigration policies, particularly the record-breaking deportation rates, the Trump Administration is likely to institute major departures from current practice. No one knows precisely what those changes will look like. But Trump's campaign promises, his post-campaign promise to immediately deport 2 to 3 million undocumented immigrants with criminal records, and his short list of government appointees suggest that immigration enforcement will be cruel and take a turn for the worse.

More questions and answers

How to Get Free Legal Support

Did you know that the Underdocumented Students Program provides free legal advice?

Who is eligible for services:

  • Current UC Berkeley undocumented undergraduate and graduate students
  • Current UC Berkeley undergraduate and graduate students with undocumented parents, spouses or children
  • Current UC Berkeley students with legal status (i.e. international students) who are at risk of falling out of legal status

More information

What to do if your DACA is delayed

USCIS has announced that some requests for renewal of Deferred Action for Childhood Considerations (DACA) filed between February 14, 2016 and May 16, 2016 were delayed because of technical difficulties and may be outside of processing time. These delays may lead to both timely (filed 120 days or more before expiration) and untimely filed requests (filed 120 days or less before expiration) to not be adjudicated before the expiration of the previous grant of deferred action and employment authorization.

If your DACA renewal is delayed, you can follow these steps  to try and rectify the situation.

Here's how undocumented students are able to enroll at American universities

Tanya Golash-Boza, University of California, Merced and Benigno Merlin, University of California, Merced

President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to deport millions of undocumented people, beginning on his first day in office. In response, students and faculty from 100 campuses around the United States have launched a campaign to demand that their universities become "sanctuaries" for undocumented students.

About 30,000 undocumented students enroll in higher education each year. Of these, fewer than 2,000 will graduate. Many of these students face financial difficulties. In addition, they lack mentoring and support.

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