DACA cocoon spun LACCD task force and Pierce allies offers undocumented students support

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@ArielleZolezzi

While the monarch butterfly begins to migrate south for the winter, the colorful insect will be seen popping up around campus in the form of stickers on some office doors.

The Los Angeles Community College District, has committed itself to protecting the rights of undocumented students who attend college and receive state aid under the provisions of AB 540.

LACCD has created a districtwide task force to provide the best information and resources to all of its undocumented students. Pierce College’s representative for the district’s task force is Dean of Student Engagement Juan Carlos Astorga.

Pierce has established ally training for faculty and staff, which is, essentially, if a faculty member agrees to support undocumented students, they will sign an agreement stating that they will serve as a resource and will not disclose immigration status.

“Some of our amazing faculty have committed to being allies to our undocumented students. Hopefully, students feel comfortable going up to these professors and talking about what is going on in their lives so that they can receive whatever help they require,” said Isha Pasricha, vice president of the Associated Student Organization.

After they go through training, they are given a sticker to put on their office to decrease the likelihood of threatening or violent behavior.

“Those two things are important to understand, because if it’s a person from the campus, many times we will have a Behavioral Intervention Team already here,” Schleicher said. “They’ll know of students backgrounds and that they have some instability.

They’re trying to keep check on that with Sheriff's Department and Student Services.”

After the Las Vegas shooting, window. This informs others that they are there to serve and to create a safe place where students can ask for help.

The names of all faculty members who have signed up as DACA allies are on the Pierce College website home page under the Counseling Center tab.

“I try to update the website as much as I can, especially with what is going on right now with DACA,” said Jeannette Maduena, head counselor of immigration resources. “There are tons of resources here, and I just hope more students become aware of them and start using them as well as the faculty.”

The website also has a list of off-campus resources that include legal aid, scholarships, healthcare and advocacy groups, as well as providing a directory for non-profit organizations nationwide. Outside legal help includes the Central American Resource Center, California Department of Social Services.

Organizations provide DACA applications and green card renewals, with the focus to provide a path to citizenship.

According to the website, it has information regarding undocumented students’ rights in case of a confrontation with police or US Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Although the deadline for a recipient's final opportunity to renew DACA ended Oct. 5, Madueña encourages students and faculty to use the resources provided to help themselves, students and families

Kraus said, the first thing that came to his mind was gun control and how desensitized the country is now.

“It’s a major issue in the United States. How many guns you have is a gun issue,” Kraus said. “It’s about this whole issue of how we deal with an active shooter environment. It’s just the whole sense of the nation. We’re all playing these games, these shoot‘em-up, bang bang games.” Schleicher said the most become more aware of their rights.

The website includes a list of DACA allies listed by department with each member’s contact info.

ASO has also been involved with outreach to aid undocumented students as well as organized a protest in support of DACA earlier in the semester. They along with the political clubs on campus united to advocate on behalf of student education.

“We just officiated the dreamer’s coalition, and a few things we are going to be doing is helping ASO and the student leaders on campus understand the sensitivities and gain awareness of the issues immigrants and DACA recipients are facing,” said Efren Lopez, ASO president. “We are trying to get a mindset structured and start implementing all that we want to do with the dreamer’s coalition the right way.” azolezzi.roundupnews@gmail.com

Jose Herrera/ Roundup important incidents the campus focuses on are active shooter, earthquakes and fires. Schleicher said schools are a generally a big target because there’s more anonymity.

Jeannette Madueña, counselor and lead for immigration resources, speaks at the Academic Senate meeting in the Faculty and Staff building on Sept. 25, 2017 at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif. Madueña talks about a workshop for faculty and staff that would provide them with skills and knowledge to aid undocumented students on campus.on Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2017.

“Most incidents of an active shooter get shut down because someone from a family, or friends or a coworker informed authorities, and they can take down that threat before it gets activated,” Schleicher said. “But high schools and colleges, it’s really hard, it’s almost impossible to differentiate who’s going to be a shooter or not.”

To report a crime, contact the Sheriff’s Department at 818-7104311 or use the blue emergency telephones located throughout the campus. The phones are activated by pressing the blue button which will dial the Sheriff’s office directly.