The Undergraduate Students Association Council delivered a letter supporting a bill that would bar the UC from excluding undocumented students from on-campus jobs to the California State Legislature on Tuesday.
The council unanimously approved the letter in support of Assembly Bill 713 – which would also apply to California State University and California Community College campuses – at its Tuesday meeting. External Vice President Sherry Zhou delivered the letter to the members of the California Assembly Committee on Higher Education later that day.
“Assembly Bill 713 is required to end the systemic job discrimination in public higher education that undocumented students continue to face,” the letter said. “The inability to access on-campus employment directly impacts students’ ability to remain enrolled, meet basic needs, and complete their education. Institutional inaction has demonstrated that voluntary compliance is insufficient.”
Internal Vice President Tommy Contreras said the letter reflects the values of the UCLA student body and reiterates that education should not be a privilege for a select few.
“AB 713 isn’t just competency, it’s justice for students who are already contributing to our campus community here at UCLA,” he said.
The letter also criticized Gov. Gavin Newsom’s previous veto of Assembly Bill 2568 in 2024 – which, if passed, would have had the same function as AB 713. Newsom cited potential criminal and civil liabilities for state employees as his reasoning for vetoing the bill and said the courts must address the legality of the policy before it could proceed.
[Related: Newsom vetoes bill that would allow undocumented students to hold campus jobs]
The UC Board of Regents unanimously voted to create a working group to investigate the implementation and viability of allowing undocumented students to work on-campus jobs, such as teaching assistantships and research positions, in May 2023. The Regents later rejected the implementation plan in January 2024, sparking condemnation from the Opportunity for All campaign – a UC-wide, student-led coalition advocating for undocumented students.
[Related: UC rejects plan to hire undocumented students, halts consideration for a year]
The coalition, which also included student and faculty members of the Center for Immigration Law and Policy at UCLA, held hunger strikes, rallies, vigils and other forms of protest to pressure the UC into implementing the policy. The regents cited potential violations of a federal law banning employers from hiring undocumented immigrants and deportations for undocumented students as reasons for halting the policy implementation.
[Related: Students launch hunger strike, pressure UC Regents to hire undocumented students]
Jeffry Umaña Muñoz, a UCLA alumnus and then-member of Opportunity for All, also sued the school in October 2024, alleging that the UC preventing undocumented students from holding on-campus jobs was unlawful and discriminatory. The court ruled in Umaña Muñoz’s favor Aug. 5.
[Related: Court rules UC barring undocumented students from campus jobs is discriminatory]
The California Supreme Court reaffirmed the lower court’s decision in Umaña Muñoz’s favor Oct. 29, by rejecting an appeal from the UC Board of Regents.
USAC officers said they have strong ties with Opportunity for All and Umaña Muñoz – who was once appointed by USAC to the ASUCLA Board of Directors but could not serve in the role because of his undocumented status – and that they were inspired by their advocacy actions.
“Personally, a lot of us (USAC officers) come from mixed-status households and we’re doing our best,” President Diego Bollo said. “I see a lot of the issues that undocumented students are facing. It’s reflective in our community.”
Bollo, a fourth-year labor studies and political science student, added that he does not think the legislation will be passed by the end of his term, so he hopes that future council members continue similar advocacy efforts.
Paige Zwerner, the external programs and platforms chief of staff for Transfer Student Representative Hyerim Yoon, said she implores the California Assembly Committee on Higher Education to pass the bill onto the Assembly floor.
“They should ensure the educational success of students across the UC and that all students, including undocumented students, are important to our schools here,” Zwerner, a third-year communication and political science student, said. “They are part of our community and deserve to be treated as such.”
General Representative Jayha Buhs Jackson said she hopes the UCLA student body sees the letter as proof of USAC’s mission to support all of the student body – and specifically those who are most vulnerable and marginalized. She added that she hopes the letter will inspire other students to join the fight as well.
Buhs Jackson, a second-year African American studies and public affairs student, said her office is currently working on a resolution outlining how Senate Bill 98 – which requires CA public schools to notify students when immigration enforcement is confirmed to be on campus – should be implemented at UCLA. She added that these actions are necessary as she believes UCLA and the UC are not sufficiently supportive of undocumented students.
[Related: UCLA shares immigration enforcement policies, procedures in accordance with California law]
“The University of California is the third-largest employer in the state, yet it refuses to employ students who are eager, qualified and ready to work,” Contreras, a fourth-year political science and public affairs student, said. “That’s not legality – that’s discrimination, and the students here at UCLA and on the council are committed to advocating for a more just and equitable world.”
Comments are closed.