The legal services program offers consultations to students, as well as their family members and SDCCD employees, on a wide variety of immigration issues and holds workshops on immigration law for undocumented students and their families.
The program can be life-changing.
“It’s made a huge impact in their lives,” said Fatima Mota, Immigration Student Success Program counselor at the San Diego College of Continuing Education. “A lot of our students come to this country not knowing what their rights are.”
Higher Education Legal Services is provided by Jewish Family Service to community colleges and universities in San Diego and Imperial counties, thanks to a grant from the California Health and Human Services Agency.
“We don’t charge any legal fees,” said Marisa Garcia-Perez, program manager for Higher Education Legal Services. “It’s important for the community to know that they have access to this free resource.”
Since the program began in 2019, more than 1,300 people at the four SDCCD colleges have received legal services, and more than 2,200 have received education about legal services in workshops held at the campuses and online.
Those needing legal advice can consult with attorneys or representatives accredited by the Department of Justice, but the program does not represent people in court.
The program assists with filing 20 types of immigration services, including Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, deportation defense consultation, applications for legal permanent residency, work permit applications, and citizenship applications.
The program has been offering multilingual “Know Your Rights” workshops regularly at the colleges, both in person and virtually. Citizenship and naturalization classes are also offered.
Garcia-Perez said the constantly changing policies and laws regarding immigration have made it challenging for attorneys and legal providers to stay current.
“It’s creating a lot of anxiety in the immigration community with people unsure about making a decision for the safety of their families,” she said.
Mota said the workshops and legal consultations have helped to answer the many questions that immigrants have about their legal status.
“A lot of people are very fearful,” she said. “Hearing from an attorney about what is going on and how to better prepare is huge because now they have the knowledge and options, and they can make a wise choice.”