Postsecondary Education Access (Im)Possibilities for Undocu/DACAmented Youth Living With the Potential Elimination of DACA

Abstract

Undocu/DACAmented youth continue to face exclusionary policies and educational environments that deter their postsecondary education trajectories. This research draws from 32 interviews with parents and undocu/DACAmented youth in Michigan. Of particular interest were participants’ experiences with postsecondary education access since this is one of the first blocked normative rites undocu/DACAmented youth confront. The theory of liminal legality is used to frame how DACA has created a liminal status for undocu/DACAmented youth that largely results in illusory postsecondary education aspirations and continues to restrict their postsecondary access. The findings reveal undocu/DACAmented youth encounter some possibilities coupled with numerous impossibilities that shape their higher education trajectories. These challenges were more pronounced since President Trump ordered an end to the DACA program. Implications of this investigation are significant given the current sociopolitical landscape and threatened well-being of over 700,000 DACA recipients.

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank all the families who participated in this study for courageously sharing their stories with us. We would also like to thank Nina Quasarano and Nina Vazquez for their research assistance in preparing this article.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Research and Creative Activity (RCA) program at the University of Michigan-Flint and the College of Education, Nursing, and Health Professions Institute for Translational Research at the University of Hartford.