Public postsecondary education: immigration enforcement.

Senator Cervantes's measure would shield undocumented students at California’s public universities from enrollment disruptions caused by immigration enforcement by adding a new Education Code provision applicable to the state’s public university systems. At its core, the proposal requires the California State University, and asks the University of California to adopt protections that keep a student’s eligibility for the in-state/nonresident tuition exemption intact when enforcement activity prevents meeting academic requirements.

In addition to preserving the tuition exemption eligibility, the bill obligates campus staff and a designated Dreamer Resource Liaison to help undocumented students access all available financial aid and academic resources. It also directs the adoption of a systemwide policy governing grades, administrative withdrawal, and reenrollment for students who cannot attend courses before the final drop date due to immigration enforcement activity, including a defined timeframe for reenrollment and retention of the student’s prior academic status upon return, pending written confirmation of intent to return. The measure covers California State University campuses and is presented as a request to align University of California practices with these provisions.

Implementation and oversight considerations reflect the bill’s ties to existing precautionary measures and to related tuition-exemption provisions, with CSU required to act and UC urged to implement similarly. The text does not specify an appropriation or a clear effective date; implementation would be pursued through campus budgeting and governance processes. The scope is limited to CSU and UC campuses, excluding community colleges and private institutions unless other provisions address them separately.

Broader context and policy implications center on reducing disruption to undocumented students’ educational trajectories during enforcement events by safeguarding financial-aid and enrollment pathways, and by standardizing responses to nonattendance. Stakeholders include students, campus administrators, registrars, financial aid offices, and the Dreamer Resource Liaison role, alongside governing boards that oversee the CSU and UC systems.