Undocumented College Students’ Aspirations and the US Immigration Policy
Includes a Live Web Event on 04/09/2026 at 9:00 AM (EDT)
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NASPA Global Division presents the "Global Hour", an event inviting colleagues from around the globe to meet and attend an interactive presentation about global changes and shifts in Higher Education and Student Affairs. Attendees will have the chance to explore professional development resources and engagement opportunities with NASPA's global members and receive information about the professional development opportunities.
Undocumented Community College Students’ Career Aspirations in the Inland Empire Under Contemporary Immigration Policy
This session explores how undocumented community college students in California’s Inland Empire navigate career aspirations amid fear of deportation and shifting immigration policy. Grounded in Community Cultural Wealth (Yosso, 2005), the presentation challenges deficit narratives by highlighting the assets and resilience undocumented students bring to their educational and career journeys. Attendees will gain insight into how institutions can better support undocumented students in developing sustainable career pathways.
Undocumented community college students in California’s Inland Empire face unique challenges as they navigate career aspirations within a context of heightened immigration enforcement, political uncertainty, and limited access to employment opportunities. This study examines how these students persist and plan for their futures despite systemic barriers, using Yosso’s (2005) Community Cultural Wealth (CCW) framework to center their strengths rather than deficits.
Drawing on qualitative data from 20 semi-structured interviews with undocumented students (with and without DACA or other forms of work authorization), this research highlights how students mobilize aspirational, familial, social, navigational, linguistic, and resistant forms of capital to pursue career goals. Findings reveal that while fear of deportation and policy instability shape students’ decision-making, participants actively engage in strategic planning, community-building, and alternative career pathways—including entrepreneurship and informal labor—to sustain their aspirations.
Situated in a region where immigrants comprise a significant portion of the population and many undocumented individuals live in mixed-status households, this study underscores the urgency of institutional support. The findings call for community colleges to move beyond symbolic inclusion and toward structural interventions that address legal precarity, career access, and belonging.
This session will provide practitioners, educators, and policymakers with research-informed strategies to better support undocumented students’ career development and long-term success.
Christian Espinoza
Doctoral researcher, Urban Educational Leadership and Policy
Claremont Graduate University
Christian Espinoza is a doctoral researcher in Urban Educational Leadership and Policy whose work centers on undocumented students in higher education, particularly those without DACA. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Sociology with a specialization in Computing from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and a master’s degree in Higher Education Administration from the University of Redlands. He also earned associate degrees in Computer Science and Social and Behavioral Sciences from San Bernardino Valley College, grounding his work in both technical and interdisciplinary perspectives.
As a former undocumented, queer Latino scholar from a mixed-status family, his research is informed by both lived experience and academic inquiry. In September 2025, Christian made the difficult decision to self-deport due to the lack of a viable pathway to U.S. citizenship and the inability to obtain legal work authorization, even after completing advanced graduate education. This experience further shapes his scholarly and professional commitment to addressing systemic inequities faced by undocumented individuals.
Christian has extensive experience working directly with undocumented students through advocacy, programming, and educational initiatives, including collaborations with organizations such as the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, FWD.us, and the UCLA Dream Resource Center. His work integrates research, policy, and practice to develop actionable strategies that support undocumented students’ educational and career trajectories.
Drawing on Community Cultural Wealth, Christian’s research challenges deficit narratives and highlights the strengths, resilience, and agency of undocumented students navigating higher education under conditions of legal precarity and political uncertainty.
Maria del Pilar Murguia (Moderator)
Director of Student Services
John Cabot University
Maria del Pilar Murguia was born in Bolivia and raised across Italy and Colombia! Her multicultural life experience allowed her to learn firsthand the challenges that living in different countries entails! With a business background, Pilar started working in International Higher education since June 2003 at John Cabot University, Rome, Italy. The focus of her work at JCU was and is to establish and maintain an environment that supports learning, encourages a strong sense of community, and promotes student development through active engagement in university life.
Pilar currently directly supervises the areas of Athletics, Outdoor Education Programs, Performing Arts, Student Activities and Trips, and Student Leadership Programs (OL, OSA, Student Clubs). She is part of the board of the Crisis Management Team of her University, as well as the University strategic planning committee.
Pilar is a certified Student Leadership Challenge practitioner, and her continued interest in intercultural leadership makes her curious about all new trends in the field. She is an active member AACUPI, NASPA, EUCA among other associations.