Higher Education Professionals Navigating Anti-Immigration Policy for Undocumented Students

Abstract

Higher education professionals are critical to undocumented students’ educational success as their access to higher education is heavily dependent on being able to interpret and navigate policies. This study presents an analysis of policies that impact higher education access for undocumented students coupled with a qualitative case study that examines how anti-immigration policy affects the experiences of higher education professionals who worked directly with undocumented students in the state of Indiana. The authors help readers understand the experiences and challenges facing these “pathfinders” as they attempt to navigate the mazes of federal, state, and institutional policy to help their undocumented students.