Mental Health

in Undocumented
Students
Zahira Gomez
Why Mental health is
important?

• It affects the way we see things

• Affects the way we act
• Affects our relationship with other people
• Affects our emotional, psychological and social
well being
Who is an Undocumented
Student?

• Students who are not U.S citizen or permanent

residents of the United States.
• Don’t have visa or legal residency
• Most undocumented students are brought at a
young age by their parents.
• Undocumented students can still go got college
and continue their studies regardless of their
status and with or without DACA.
 What is DACA ?
Deferred Action of Childhood Arrival also known as
the DREAMERS act.

- DACA was first introduced in June 2012, to protect eligible young adults who
were brought to the United States at a very young age. This allows them to have a
work permit and to attain school. ( last about 2 years)
- DACA does not provide a pathway for citizenship
- On October 31, 2022 it was said USCIS will no longer accept new applications but
can only renew and process current applications.

What is DACA and who are the dreamers?. ADL. (2017, September 7).
https://www.adl.org/resources/tools-and-strategies/what-daca-and-who-are-
dreamers?psafe_param=1&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAsburBhCIARIsAExmsu
40WFAsuA7flZMNHwZ_7HrkhYX1FQmOvvw4M7rzG-
NNhjqXD8DWiyQaArBJEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
 How Is Mental Health Affected In The Undocumented
Community? - Undocumented students must pay the triple tuition
amount (or more) than residents and
are ineligible for federal financial aid, making the cost
of a college education entirely out
of reach.” ( Cisneros)
- “ Many parents of undocumented students have
financial problems and want their children to work and
Personal Experience: financially support their families as soon as possible.
From personal experience, we often Even after undocumented students have completed their
feel like we're left out and are nothing careers, they cannot legally work in the
to our other peers around us. United States.” ( Cisneros)
We grow up in a country where we're - “ You grow up trying to maintain your family’s culture
scared for our future. We can't fully while also assimilating into the
plan out life ahead of us without one in which you live.” ( Ali, 2022)
knowing if we're going to be able to
stay in the country or not

Ali, M. (2022). Retrieved from https://www.dailytarheel.com/article/2022/11/opinion-pressure-

guilt- first-generation- immigrant-student
Cisneros, L. (n.d.). Undocumented Students Pursuing Higher Education. UC
Merced Undergraduate Research Journal.
What is the percentage of
Undocumented students who
graduate college ?
• “ More than 408,000 (approximately 1.9% of all students)
undocumented students are
enrolled in higher education.” ( Higher immigration portal, 2023)
• “Undocumented students are a diverse population in higher
education, with Hispanic
students accounting for 46% of undocumented students, compared
to 27% for Asian
students, close to 14% for Black students, and 10% are White. The
top five states with
undocumented students in higher education are California
(83,000), Texas (59,000),
Florida (40,000), New York (30,000), and Illinois (20,000).” (
Higher immigration
portal, 2023)
• “ Many undocumented graduate students hold degrees in STEM
and healthcare-related
fields. “ ( Higher immigration portal, 2023)

- Cisneros, L. (n.d.). Undocumented Students Pursuing Higher Education. UC Merced

Undergraduate Research Journal.
- portal, higher immigration. (2023). Retrieved
from https://www.higheredimmigrationportal.org/research/undocumented-students- in-
higher-education-updated- march-2021/
 Mental support for
undocumented
students
• Most undocumented students feel like they
don't have anyone they can go to and talk to
about how they're feeling. Because they
don't want to worry their family and the
people around them.
• Often time undocumented students go to
teachers or counselors to talk about
what's going.
• Counselors are available on campus and
outside resources.
Solutions and things you can do to Things I can do to help my mental health
help support Undocumented Students and wellbeing

• Let the know they're heard and seen • Ask for help
and are not alone.
• Go to counselors and peers that I'm comfortable
• Be as supportive as you can talking to.
• Encourage other people around you to be • Find new hobbies to get my mind off things.
there and support.
• Join and be part of meetings, protest, or • Make new friends and meet new people.
rallies to show your support.
• Social media is big, posting and getting others
to see will help.
 Work Cited
- Myers, M. (2023, May 14). Mental Health and the Undocumented Student. OSU College of Education.
https://blogs.oregonstate.edu/collegeofeducation/mental-health-and-the-undocumented-student-an-
interview-with-violeta-a-murrieta/
- portal, higher immigration. (2023). Retrieved from
https://www.higheredimmigrationportal.org/research/undocumented-students-in-higher-education-updated-
march-2021/
- Borge, J. (2022). Retrieved from https://www.health.com/mind-body/first-generation-american-mental-
health-immigrant-paradox
- Close, C., Kouvonen, A., Bosqui, T., Patel, K., O’Reilly, D., & Donnelly, M. (2016). Retrieved from
https://globalizationandhealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12992-016-0187-3
- Potochnick, S. R., & Perreira, K. M. (2010). Retrieved from
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3139460/
- Cisneros, L. (n.d.). Undocumented Students Pursuing Higher Education. UC Merced Undergraduate
Research Journal.
- Ali, M. (2022). Retrieved from https://www.dailytarheel.com/article/2022/11/opinion-pressure-guilt-first-
generation-immigrant-student
- Thompson, E. (2023). Retrieved from https://thebestschools.org/magazine/undocumented-student-
attending-college/