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In this week’s Higher Ed Immigration Portal Newsletter
- Director's Desk
- Campus Corner
- State Policy Updates
- Partner Updates and Spotlights
- Announcements
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In this month’s issue, we’re excited to spotlight our new Legal Pathways Learning Tool, designed to help students and graduates with temporary or precarious status explore employment-based immigration options. Alongside it, we’ve released a Practical Guide to Employment-Based Visas, developed in partnership with FWD.us and Path2Papers.
We also invite you to join our upcoming July 9 webinar, From Campus to Career, to learn more.
This issue also features:
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Our latest research report, Absent in the Data, Present on Campus, which highlights the experiences of Black immigrant students
- A new analysis on resettled refugee students in U.S. higher education
- Key policy updates on in-state tuition access in Texas, Kentucky, and Minnesota
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A spotlight on Rafael A. Martínez’s new book, Illegalized: Undocumented Youth Movements in the United States
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A feature on our partner, the U.S. Africa Institute, and their important work in the field.
| | New resources and tools for campus leaders, practitioners, and policymakers. | | |
From Campus to Career: New Legal Pathways that Work Tools and Resources!
The Presidents’ Alliance is pleased to announce a new suite of tools and resources to support noncitizen students and graduates in accessing employment-based immigration options. Find these new tools and resources, and many more, on our Legal Pathways that Work resource hub.
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Legal Pathways Learning Tool
This confidential online questionnaire is designed to help students and graduates in temporary or precarious statuses explore potential employment-based immigration pathways and learn more about each one. Developed by legal experts and in partnership with Innovation Law Lab, the tool guides users toward appropriate next steps, including seeking legal counsel. We encourage you to share this directly with students.
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From Campus to Career: A Practical Guide to Employment-Based Visas for Noncitizen Students in Higher Education
Developed in partnership with FWD.us and Path2Papers, our new guide offers practical advice for students and higher education professionals navigating nonimmigrant and immigrant employment-based visa options after graduation. It provides clear guidance on what students can do during their academic journeys to strengthen their eligibility upon entering the workforce.
| Webinar – From Campus to Career: Preparing for Employment-Based Visas as a Student – July 9 at 2 PM ET | Join the Presidents’ Alliance, Path2Papers, and FWD.us for an upcoming webinar introducing these new resources and providing an overview of employment-based visa pathways, such as H-1B, O-1, and employment-based green cards. Panelists will discuss concrete steps students can take now, strategies for securing sponsorship, and where to find additional support and free legal consultation opportunities. Speakers include: Anita Gupta (Presidents’ Alliance), Raju Patel (Path2Papers), Ali Procopio (FWD.us), and Dan Berger (Green and Spiegel / Path2Papers). | | |
Reminder: Register for the SUCCESS Convening!
Our 2025 Supporting Undocumented Students' College & Career Equity: Strategies for Success (SUCCESS) National Convening will be held at the University of Illinois Chicago from Wednesday, September 10 to Friday, September 12, 2025.
The themes for the 2025 SUCCESS Convening are: Unlocking Career Opportunities—focusing on licensure, employment-based pathways, advanced degrees—and Building Holistic Supports, including community, wellness, and immigration services. We anticipate welcoming over 400 participants, including campus leaders, organizational experts, and advocates, to exchange innovative programs and strategies that support undocumented students, both with and without work authorization. Institutions are encouraged to attend as small teams, ideally including senior administrators, faculty, staff, and students, to maximize collaboration and impact.
Member Registration:
Presidents' Alliance member campuses and affiliate partner organizations are eligible for a 30% discount on the registration rates until registration closes.
Not sure if your institution is a member? Please contact our Project Manager for Campus Engagement, Ivana Lopez Espinosa, at ivana@presidentsalliance.org.
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Pre-Order Rafael A. Martínez’s New Book
Get your copy of Illegalized: Undocumented Youth Movements in the United States at a discount today! This book explores the history of undocumented youth social movements in the U.S. throughout the 21st century.
| | | | All pre-ordered books will be available for pickup at registration. Not sure if you want to purchase a copy now? No worries! Copies will also be available for purchase at the SUCCESS Convening. | | |
Our new brief focuses on Black immigrants in U.S. higher education and provides a descriptive overview of this population, including undergraduate and graduate enrollment, institutional type (public vs. private), diversity within the group, age of arrival, degree types, and immigration status. While this analysis does not assess collegiate experiences or offer policy recommendations, it fills a critical gap in understanding a population that is often overlooked. In doing so, this brief contributes to a need for broader recognition of the significance of Black immigrants, not only within higher education, but within American society.
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College Corner
We invite college counselors and K–12 educators to register for the upcoming College Corner meeting on July 15, an important opportunity to connect, share resources, and better support undocumented students.
| | Refugee/Displaced Students | | Check Out Our Latest Analysis: Resettled Refugee Students in U.S Higher Education | | |
Despite the growing number of refugee students globally and in the U.S., data on their access to and experiences in higher education remains limited. Who are the refugees enrolled in U.S. colleges and universities? Where do they come from, and where are they studying? In honor of World Refugee Day on June 20, the Presidents’ Alliance released new analysis highlighting the characteristics and enrollment trends of resettled refugee students in U.S. higher education. This analysis builds on and complements the Mapping the Refugee Student Population in U.S. Higher Education report, originally released in 2023 in partnership with Duolingo English Test and updated this spring. Both reports are available on the Portal.
| | Policy tools and resources. | | |
Challenges to In-State Tuition-DOJ Complaints
Following the April 28, 2025 Executive Order, which directs the Attorney General, in consultation with the Secretary of Homeland Security, to “identify and take appropriate action to stop the enforcement of state and local laws, regulations, policies, and practices favoring [noncitizens] over any groups of American citizens” — including state laws that provide in-state tuition for higher education — the Department of Justice filed the following complaints in June. The Presidents’ Alliance is working with partners on next steps to address these challenges and will share updates as we know more. If you have any questions, please contact our Director of State Policy and Legal Strategy, Monica Andrade, at monica@presidentsalliance.org.
Texas
On June 4, a federal judge struck down Texas’s longstanding in-state tuition policy for undocumented students, known as the Texas Dream Act. The decision came the same day the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) filed a lawsuit, which Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton supported by submitting a joint motion to permanently block the law. Just hours later, U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor issued an order halting the 24-year-old policy, which had provided access to in-state tuition and state financial aid for undocumented students who graduated from Texas high schools.
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The decision has immediate and far-reaching consequences for undocumented students currently enrolled in Texas colleges and universities, as well as the estimated 18,000 undocumented students on track to graduate from Texas high schools this year. Without access to in-state tuition, many students will face out-of-state rates that are three to four times higher, putting higher education out of reach for many.
Kentucky
On June 17, the Department of Justice filed a complaint challenging Kentucky’s regulation that provides reduced in-state tuition for undocumented students.
Minnesota
On June 25, the Department of Justice filed a complaint challenging Minnesota’s in-state tuition policy and its North Star Promise Scholarship program.
| | Announcements and spotlights from Portal partners. | | |
This month, we are spotlighting our newest partner, U.S. Africa Institute (USAI), an organization dedicated to expanding access to education for historically underrepresented students and promoting academic collaboration between the U.S. and Africa through university partnerships, exchange programs, and public diplomacy initiatives.
The U.S. Africa Institute is stepping in to organize and protect affected students in Texas. USAI is working with the Texas HBCU Consortium, the University of Texas System, Texas State University, the Texas A&M System, community colleges, and other public and private institutions across the state.
Their Goals:
- Build a Black Dreamers Network across Texas
- Provide access to legal defense and mental health support
- Train students to engage policymakers and defend their rights
- Advocate for policy protections at the state and federal levels
| | | | Join USAI’s upcoming webinar on July 15th at 6:00 PM CST: Supporting Black Undocumented Students in Texas. | | |
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July 9, 2025 at 2:00 PM ET | Webinar – From Campus to Career: Preparing for Employment-Based Visas as a Student | Register Here
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July 15, 2025 at 2:30 PM ET | College Corner Monthly Meeting | Register Here
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September 10-12, 2025 | SUCCESS Convening at the University of Illinois Chicago | Register Here
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Listen to the Latest Podcast Episode! Subscribe to Intersections with Dr. Russell | Subscribe Here
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Thank you for your support and engagement.
The Higher Ed Immigration Portal Team
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