On Sept. 22, Governor Gavin Newsom’s veto of Assembly Bill 2586 crushed California’s estimated population of 86,805 undocumented students. AB 2586 aims to provide equitable campus employment opportunities for all public post-secondary schooling systems such as UCs, CSUs, and California community colleges. Rather than prohibit undocumented students from equal opportunities, California must support all students regardless of their citizen status in their pursuit of higher education.
Introduced by Assemblymember David Alvarez (D-San Diego), AB 2586, dubbed the “Opportunity for All Act,” intended to remove the current restrictions undocumented students have faced since the 1996 Federal Immigration Reform & Control Act. The restrictions currently prohibit undocumented students from applying for campus positions such as medical residencies, research internships, and teaching positions necessary for students to be competitive in the workforce, especially when their documented peers are perceived as having an inherent right to these positions. While the state isn’t necessarily denying their education, they are severely impeding it.
“Students attending [public] colleges should have equal access to employment and other opportunities just like every other student, regardless of their immigration status,” said Senator María Elena Durazo (D-Los Angeles) to the UCLA Labor Center. “They also need qualitative work experience and to earn an income during their studies, especially as college tuition hikes make it more difficult for our students to attain higher education.”
Newsom should clarify the bill through the court system, as undocumented students contribute to schooling systems through tuition, workplaces, and the success of the state.
Newsom’s administration takes a step back from its prior welcoming stance towards immigration with the veto of AB 2586, coupled with the recent dismissal of AB 1840, which attempted to expand the “California Dream for All Act” by providing home loans for undocumented students who qualified for aid.
In his veto message, Newsom expressed that while California has been at the “forefront of expanding opportunities for undocumented students who seek to realize their higher education dream,’ the legal risks of the legislation supersede this. He specifically cites the bill’s potential consequences surrounding criminal and civil liability for state and federal employees, which falls in line with UC and CSU statements regarding the veto.
However, the veto still disappoints students all over California who believe Newsom’s stance on immigration is regressing. Instead of taking the definitive action of vetoing the bill, Newsom should clarify the bill through the court system as undocumented students contribute to schooling systems through tuition, workplaces, and the success of the state. States should never impose limits on student education, highlighting the glaring double standard between documented and undocumented students, and shedding light on the need for equal access to employment opportunities.
Newsom should prioritize the needs of all Californians by supporting AB 2856 and ushering in federal change instead of reverting to policies that reinforce inequality. Now, more than ever, it is important to empower those communities who have been historically marginalized as the future of California depends on it.
