By Daisy Martinez and Jaiden Lopez

As detention of immigrants reaches an all-time high, some California college students are scared and wondering if getting picked up by authorities would affect their status at college.

A new California law, SB 307, will require the California State University system to adopt formal policies protecting students whose education is disrupted by immigration-enforcement activity. It requests the same of the University of California system.

The bill seeks to standardize how campuses handle grades, withdrawals, and re-enrollment for undocumented or mixed-status students who miss class or are forced to leave school due to enforcement actions. It also tries to ensure that undocumented students impacted by immigration enforcement actions don’t lose an exemption from paying higher nonresident tuition.

Sacramento State is home to an estimated 500 to 600 undocumented students, and the campus Dreamer Resource Center provides legal services, financial aid guidance, and wellness resources. 

Some Sacramento State faculty and staff say that while student support services exist, training and guidelines remain inconsistent. These campus employees feel unprepared for situations involving immigration enforcement.

Communication Studies Lecturer Rebecca Gardner said she had not heard of SB 307 before being interviewed, but supports its intention. 

“Anything that helps students get back easier is helpful,” she said. “The more you can keep people tied to their education without barriers.” 

Gardner said that undocumented and mixed-status students already face stress and mental health challenges, and sudden disruptions can be especially destabilizing. Gardner said the school provides a clear standard for handling absences and difficulties for students with disabilities, but other accommodations are not as easy a process. 

Gardner said that she would handle an immigration-related absence in the same way as her normal attendance policy because she does not have a guideline to follow. But she noted that balancing compassion and academic expectations can be difficult. 

She emphasized communication and responsibility, saying she believes the university could do more to support faculty. When asked what she felt could help make her job easier to handle these types of situations. Gardner said there should be a pamphlet that had all of the necessary information instead of everything spread out on different websites. 

Concerns about preparedness extend beyond academics. Kayla Safdari, former Resident Advisor and current Assistant Hall Coordinator, said housing staff receive little formal training on immigration-related situations. 

“During RA and AHC training, there was no mention of what to do when ICE comes to campus,” she said. An emergency meeting was held in February 2025 after concerns about increased ICE presence, but new housing leadership this year has not received that information. 

She said the only consistent tool is a red protocol card, which instructs staff not to release resident information and to contact supervisors immediately. Safdari said she “would look into having more in-depth training for future trainings.”

When asked for a statement, a Sacramento State spokesperson declined to comment. 

Amy Bentley-Smith, the Director of Media Relations and Public Affairs, provided a statement.

“The CSU is currently reviewing existing policies and practices that could satisfy the requirements of the bill and will ensure necessary updates are in place when the law goes into effect January 1, 2026.”

Jessie Hernandez-Reyes, director of policy & advocacy of the Campaign for College Opportunity, said a key challenge is determining if campuses understand the implementation of the bill. 

According to Hernandez-Reyes, it is uncertain if students, faculty, and staff are fully aware of the implementation or resources available for undocumented students. She said this gap in awareness can limit the bill’s impact. 

“It’s hard to know how many staff are really informed about those resources and who outside of people that work within the Dream Resource Liaisons are knowledgeable about that.” Hernandez-Reyes said.

Campaign for College provides resources for those who need help with higher education. A key resource for undocumented students is the California Undocumented Higher Education Coalition. 

Giselle Garcia, programs director at NorCal Resist, works to help individuals who need to feel safe by providing resources. She said the MIGRA Watch program looks out for immigration enforcement activity. ”Volunteers are dispatched to verify and alert the community if it is ICE, as well as use best practices for recording and documenting any kind of ICE interactions,” she said. 

“A lot of our students who are impacted by immigration enforcement action live in a state of anxiety in general,” Garcia said, “because there’s so much uncertainty of when there will be a disruption, if there will be a disruption in your life.”