Timelines

Migration is a natural part of living systems, and human history is no exception. Yet it remains one of the most debated public issues of our time.

Both people and borders move. Who is allowed to move, and who is granted rights, lies at the heart of how nations define belonging. In Germany and the United States alike, these debates have been deeply intertwined with evolving ideas of race and ethnicity.

These timelines trace how citizenship and belonging have been constructed, challenged, and redefined through laws, social movements, global events, and cultural works — and how those histories continue to shape the present.

2010

2015

State Action on Access to Higher Education

In light of congressional gridlock on immigration reform, many states legislatures have taken matters into their own hands, some moving to alleviate hardships for undocumented migrants and others to police and punish them. One arena where this battle has played out has been over access to higher education. Undocumented students have extremely low rates of university attendance, largely because they have to to pay international student tuition rates, are unable to access financial aid, or cannot legally work.

Beginning in 2001 with Texas and California, at least 20 states have succeeded in passing varied tuition equity legislation to increase access to higher education, through access to in-state tuition, eligibility for certain scholarships or access to state financial aid. These states include, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Maryland, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin. By contrast, other states have created harsher restrictions for undocumented students. Arizona, Georgia, and Indiana, for instance, have all barred undocumented students from qualifying for in-state tuition or from receiving any type of financial aid. Additionally, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina have both taken measures to limit undocumented students from enrolling in public post-secondary institutions. State action on tuition equity represents a significant step towards creating equal opportunity for immigrant youth; however, it does not confer any form of legal status for undocumented youth, which is only possible for a federal level.

Freedom University

Students from Freedom University, a modern-day freedom school for undocumented students providing tuition-free classes in Georgia.

Freedom University opened its doors in 2011 in Athens, Georgia in response to the Georgia Board of Regents passing Policy 4.1.6, which banned all undocumented students access to the top five public universities in the state of Georgia. Freedom University provides a safe space where undocumented students can continue their human right to an education. In 2014, they transitioned their school to Atlanta, Georgia and since then they have continued their work in ensuring the future of education for undocumented students.

United States

Sources

Basic Facts About In-State Tuition for Undocumented Immigrant Students. National Immigration Law Center. 2014. Date accessed: September 13, 2015.
Ben Shapiro. Students Hunger Strike After DREAM Act Is Dropped From State Budget. Observer. March 25, 2015. Date accessed: September 13, 2015.
Undocumented Student Tuition: State Action. National Conference of State Legislatures. June 12, 2014. Date accessed: September 13, 2015.
Philip E. Wolgin, Maya Edelstein. Keeping the DREAM Alive: States Continue the Fight to Give Undocumented Students Access to Higher Education. Center for American Progress. June 28, 2011. Date accessed: September 13, 2015.

Additional Resources

State Bills on Access to Education for Immigrants. Date accessed: June 16, 2015.
Find a Local Organization. Date accessed: June 16, 2015.
Undocumented Student Tuition: Resources. Date accessed: June 16, 2015.

Related Events

2011

Arizona Bans Ethnic Studies