When news spread that Keyla Vazquez-Zuniga, a Southern Connecticut State University nursing student, had been detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement on March 31, fear moved quickly across campus.
For many undocumented and mixed-status students — those who live in families where immigration status varies from person to person — moments like this have become part of a new and unsettling normal.
But amid that fear came a rapid series of responses. Students organized rallies, faculty members began sharing resources and immigrant support groups rushed to check on undocumented and mixed-status students worried they or their family members could be next.
“There’s definitely been more activity, people trying to be supportive of immigrants, our counselors have been seeing more folks that might be undocumented or have family members that are undocumented going up to them, people asking what they can do to help, ” said Esteban Garcia, co-chair of the DREAMers Action Alliance at SCSU.
Across Connecticut, undocumented students confronting increased immigration enforcement are relying on a years-old network of student groups, faculty advocates and statewide organizers originally built during earlier immigration policy battles, particularly those around the failed DREAM Act, and the innovation of DACA status.
Those groups, including the statewide Connecticut Students for a Dream organization, are now adapting to a new wave of fear surrounding ICE activity in communities near several universities.
Esteban Garcia’s own immigration journey shapes much of his work supporting undocumented students. Garcia immigrated from Colombia at 16 and spent a year in adult education learning English alongside other immigrants after being unable to enroll in high school. After 9/11, he watched public attitudes toward immigrants shift sharply, affecting the mental health of many immigrant families in his community.
Navigating college as an undocumented student meant facing barriers without guidance, few Spanish-speaking administrators and uncertainty about eligibility. Garcia eventually earned both a bachelor’s degree and an MBA and now works as co-chair of the DREAMers Action Alliance at SCSU to build the support systems he once lacked.
Meanwhile, Carolina Bortolleto co-founded Connecticut Students for a Dream in 2010 after growing up undocumented in Connecticut at a time when few students openly discussed immigration status.
“I remember in high school and college being like, ‘Wow, I’m the only one going through this,’” Bortolleto said. “People just weren’t talking openly about being undocumented.”
Bortolleto discovered immigrant youth organizing movements in other states while researching the federal DREAM Act, proposed legislation that would have created a pathway to legal status for undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children.
Amid the fight to pass the legislation, she and a small group of students began building a statewide network in Connecticut so undocumented students could find the kind of community they had struggled to find themselves. The DREAM Act was never passed, but President Barack Obama instead signed an executive order creating DACA status – deferred action for childhood arrivals – that exempted many younger people from enforcement action or deportation.
“The main challenge was finding people who wanted to build with us,” Bortolleto said. “It really is a small group of committed people who can change things.”
According to the Higher Ed Immigration Portal, Connecticut is classified as a “Comprehensive Access” state. Since 2011, undocumented students have qualified for in-state tuition and certain forms of state financial aid — policy changes advocates like Bortolleto helped push for through years of organizing and testimony. The portal estimates more than 116,000 undocumented residents live in Connecticut, including thousands enrolled in colleges and universities.
As a result of those struggles, a statewide support network now stretches across Connecticut colleges and universities.
At SCSU, support efforts include the DREAMers Action Alliance, formed in 2016 during a period of statewide advocacy for immigrant rights, and the student-run UndocuAlly Student Alliance, founded in 2023 to create a visible, peer-driven support system for undocumented students and allies. Together, the groups provide policy education, confidential support, community programming and connections to campus resources.
Similar systems exist at other public universities. At Western Connecticut State University, undocumented students are supported through Western Without Borders, a student organization created in 2018, focused on advocacy and awareness, and the UndocuAlly Taskforce, a faculty- and staff-led group coordinating campus resources and response efforts. At the University of Connecticut, undocumented student advocacy includes a campus chapter of Connecticut Students for a Dream, as well as an undocumented advisory board whose online portal is password protected to safeguard student privacy.
The impact of those support networks became visible following the detention of the SCSU nursing student. As students, faculty members and immigrant advocates worked to support her release, a legal defense fund raised more than $21,000 for bond and legal expenses in just a few days, surpassing its original goal. The fundraising effort drew support from across Connecticut and illustrated how networks built over years of advocacy can provide immediate assistance when undocumented students and their families face a crisis.
But while they offer practical supports and a response to crisis situations, it can be hard for activist organizations to eliminate fear.
Bortolleto said students are once again falling silent about their own stories because of growing fears surrounding ICE activity and misinformation online. She said organizations across Connecticut have become increasingly focused on helping undocumented students feel less isolated during periods of heightened immigration enforcement.
“A lot more folks now are hesitant to share their story publicly with good reason,” Bortolleto said.
At Southern, an “I Stand With Immigrants” event hosted by the UndocuAlly Student Alliance was canceled during Immigration Awareness Week in the fall semester of 2025 after reports of ICE activity near campus.
“There has been a report of ICE presence at a car wash in Hamden near campus, and for the safety and well-being of our community, we believe it’s best to cancel today’s event,” UndocuAlly Student Alliance President Jerimiah Parra wrote in an email announcing the cancellation.
The weeklong series included educational programs and community events focused on immigrant experiences.
“The main goal behind organizing this event was just to bring awareness and show everybody the stories of undocumented people that they’re not able to tell,” Parra said at the time.
Garcia said some students have disengaged from campus life or withdrawn from classes altogether.
“We hear a lot of stories about people who have been detained or have family members who have been detained,” Garcia said. “There’s a lot of fear and anxiety.”
That fear directly affects academic performance, said Paula Naranjo, a recent SCSU graduate and former vice president of the UndocuAlly Student Alliance.
“When you’re thinking about your safety — if you’re not safe — how can you think about school? How can you think about having fun when you don’t know if mom’s going to come back home tonight?” Naranjo said.
Naranjo said meaningful support requires both clear protocols during moments of crisis while also addressing longterm barriers that continue to limit undocumented students’ participation in campus life.
“I think it will be very important to educate staff members and students to know what to do in case that an ICE raid was to happen,” Naranjo said. “A lot of undocumented people or immigrants can’t access health insurance, and that’s a barrier for many things on campus.”
While advocates acknowledge that campus support systems cannot change federal immigration policy or fully eliminate fear, they say the networks built across Connecticut have helped students find guidance and community during periods of uncertainty.
“Being with people like you, you no longer feel alone,” Bortolleto said. “I wanted people to realize that they do have a say and a voice to make change in their local communities.”
This story is republished via CT Community News, a service of the Connecticut Student Journalism Collaborative, an organization sponsored by journalism departments at college and university campuses across the state. It is supported by a grant from the Solutions Journalism Network. CT Community News is proud be to a member of the Solutions Journalism Network Student Media Challenge cohort for 2025-26.
