By Valentina Toro
Features Editor
UndocuAlly Student Alliance is working to break down barriers for undocumented students at the university through advocacy, education and community building.
Founded in 2023, the organization was created to raise awareness about undocumented communities while providing direct support for undocumented and mixed-status students on campus. The club also welcomes allies who want to advocate for more equitable policies.
“UndocuAlly is a club that was made to bring awareness to undocumented individuals, but focusing on undocumented students here at Southern as well,” business administration major Jerimiah Parra, a junior and the president of the UndocuAlly Student Alliance, said. “It was made to bring community and bring awareness.”
Parra said the club’s mission has become increasingly urgent as immigration policies and national rhetoric continue to shift.
While the university brands itself as a social justice-oriented institution, he said undocumented students still face structural challenges that often go unnoticed.
One of the most significant barriers involved a previous university policy requiring students to have health insurance to participate in club sports.
Because many undocumented students do not have access to insurance, the policy limited their ability to engage in campus life.
UndocuAlly members advocated for over a year to address the issue.
With support from faculty and administrators, the policy was eventually reconsidered, marking what Parra describes as a major victory for the organization.
In addition to insurance limitations, undocumented students face other obstacles, including restricted access to on-campus employment and fewer scholarship opportunities. According to Parra, many undocumented students must work multiple jobs off campus and balance full course loads, all while paying the same rates.
The club works closely with its three advisers — Maribel Sanchez, associate director of university access program, Daisy TorresBaez, faculty and staff diversity recruitment and retention specialist, and Esteban Garcia, bursar — whom Parra described as instrumental in advancing student concerns. He also improved collaboration this year with university leadership, including the interim president.
“We can only do so much as students,” Parra said. “When we have staff and faculty on that next level backing us, it really helps make change.”
Beyond policy advocacy, UndocuAlly focuses on programming that builds community and fosters belonging.
This year, the club hosted a general body meeting and the Stories in Your Colors event, where students contributed to a mural that will be shared with community organizations in New Haven. Members also wrote cards to undocumented families impacted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Upcoming events include a Know Your Rights workshop scheduled for Thursday, March 5 and a mental health–focused Belonging and Caring event on Wednesday, March 4 where students can create flower bouquets and decompress.
The organization also plans to revive its UndocuJourney event, which highlights personal stories from students, faculty and staff navigating higher education as undocumented individuals or allies.
For Parra, dispelling misconceptions about undocumented students remains central to the club’s mission.
“There’s a stigma that undocumented students get handed everything, and that’s completely false,” Parra said. “They’re working 10 times harder than most people realize, trying to build a future while facing barriers that other students don’t have to think about.”
