IndigenousNetwork was able to attend this briefing from American Community Media on October 2nd. The focus was the state-funded immigration legal services embedded across California’s community colleges and what that means for students who are undocumented or in mixed-status families. The timing matters for Indigenous readers. Community colleges are where many first seek help. The program discussed in the briefing is now one of the largest publicly funded gateways to vetted legal advice in those settings.
Alonso Garcia leads the statewide Immigration Legal Services program at the Foundation for California Community Colleges. He is a first-generation immigrant with more than 15 years in the nonprofit sector and a master’s in public policy and administration. Garcia laid out the scale and the guardrails. The initiative covers all 116 campuses and is financed by the California Department of Social Services. “Annually, the state invests about $10 million into this valuable resource,” he said. The services are free for students, faculty, and staff who are affiliated with a campus at the time of intake. There is no income threshold at intake. Data protections limit who can see personal information gathered through the program. “All of the information that is funneled through Find Your Ally goes directly to the legal service providers. We at the state level do not get to see any of that information. It’s 100 percent confidential,” he said.
Garcia said demand has climbed in the past year. According to his team’s internal tracking, the program has supported more than 30,000 students since its 2019 launch, with more than 9,000 served in the recent nine-month window. He described a practical reason for the model. Immigration cases can take years. A student might leave college but the case continues. The program therefore keeps representation in place after enrollment ends. He also addressed safety and access. Many consultations now happen online. That choice reflects anxiety about travel to campus when enforcement activity is visible in nearby communities. “Schedule a consultation, make it virtual, ask all of your questions,” he said.
The legal work on campuses is led by providers like CARECEN-LA. Yadira Gutierrez Vargas supervises College Legal Services there. She is a first-generation college graduate who moved from community college to UC Berkeley and then earned a law degree at UCLA. She grew up in a mixed-status family and now manages attorneys and paralegals who rotate across Los Angeles area colleges and several California State University campuses. In the briefing she walked through what confidentiality looks like on the ground. “There are different layers of security that we have,” she said. Intake and contracts spell out attorney-client privilege. Office locations are shared only shortly before an appointment. Rooms are set up to protect privacy. “Oftentimes we get referred students from Dream Resource Centers, and they want to know follow-up information. At all points, we have to decline to answer those questions because of attorney-client privilege and confidentiality,” she said.
Vargas described the mix of cases seen most often. DACA renewals remain common, though less frequent than a few years ago as some students shift into family petitions, lawful permanent residence, and eventually naturalization. Attorneys also file special immigrant juvenile status petitions for youth under 21 who have been abused, abandoned, or neglected by a parent. That docket is rising. She noted the role of filing-fee aid from campuses and private funders. Many students cannot absorb hundreds of dollars in fees while paying tuition and living costs. CARECEN and partner clinics piece together support so viable cases do not stall for financial reasons.
For Indigenous communities, several points connect directly to current coverage. First, confidentiality and remote access matter for students and relatives who worry about exposure in public campus spaces. Second, the system’s continuity helps families who move between counties for seasonal work. A Mixtec or K’iche’ student who starts a case in Los Angeles can remain connected to counsel after transferring or leaving school. Third, the program’s emphasis on accurate screening can blunt the reach of notario fraud, which has targeted Indigenous migrants with promises in Spanish that do not match their first language. Vargas flagged that risk and pushed a simple remedy. “Encouraging people to just come and get a general consultation,” she said. A short, confidential meeting can confirm eligibility, warn about pitfalls and ease the stress that already is piling up on so many college students - and anyone watching the news. It hopes to offer that little respite and sense of ease.
The speakers also addressed the political climate that shapes student decisions. Garcia said students are facing moving targets on fees and procedures. Vargas used a sharper phrase. “My greatest concern is that the actions by the administration are causing a chilling effect,” she said. The result is hesitation even when a person has a strong path to relief. That hesitation is visible on campuses that enroll Native students from Oaxaca, Guatemala, and southern Mexico. It is also visible among Native American students in mixed-status households who weigh whether helping a parent seek counsel could invite scrutiny. In both cases, the program’s confidential intake and virtual options lower the threshold to get reliable information.
The record shows a program that is statewide, public, and busy. It has served tens of thousands since 2019. It continues during periods of federal uncertainty because the funding is state based. For Indigenous communities following the detention and court access debates, the model is relevant for another reason. It is one of the few places where a student can ask a sensitive question without being tracked or steered to a private firm they cannot afford. “We try to be as holistic as possible,” Vargas said, noting routine referrals to mental health and financial aid teams when legal problems spill over into basic needs.
The briefing closed with a practical request to media and community partners.
As your partners at Indigenous Network, we can advise to you this program if you are interested. Point students and staff to a consultation rather than to rumor. Remind families that cases are still being approved. In a season of disinformation and fear, that may be the most useful message of all. The program is not a cure-all. It cannot fix the pace of adjudications. It cannot erase broader enforcement trends. But it creates a secure first door at a place where many Indigenous and immigrant students already are. And that can be a real window of hope. Go to findyourally.com for more, or please watch this informative short video: https://youtu.be/h3vIUImZSVM?si=gdI4y6WMmgugfX1u
