Public postsecondary education: immigration enforcement.

Senator Cervantes's higher education proposal establishes new protections for undocumented students at California State University and University of California campuses who face disruptions due to immigration enforcement actions. The measure requires institutions to maintain students' eligibility for in-state tuition benefits when immigration enforcement prevents them from meeting academic requirements, provided they satisfy existing California residency criteria.

The legislation mandates that campus staff and designated Dreamer Resource Liaisons assist undocumented students in accessing available financial aid and academic resources. It also requires the development of systemwide policies governing course grades, administrative withdrawals, and reenrollment procedures when students cannot attend classes by withdrawal deadlines due to immigration enforcement activities. These policies must specify timeframes during which affected students can reenroll while preserving their previous academic standing upon confirming their intent to return.

The provisions build upon current requirements for California public universities to implement precautionary measures during federal immigration enforcement activities on campus. While the California State University system must implement these changes, the measure frames them as recommendations for the constitutionally autonomous University of California system.