Immigrant Youth and Legal Precarity during Trump 2.0

sophiarodriguez15
1 day ago
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Introduction by: Lisa Pamela Lopez-Escobar, University of Maryland, College Park and Sophia Rodriguez, New York University

Guest Blogger: Sophia L. Ángeles, PhD, The Pennsylvania State University

August 25, 2025

In this week’s blog, Dr. Sophia Ángeles from Penn State, draws from a multi-year study with newcomer youth at a high school in Los Angeles to examine how recent immigration policy changes under the Trump 2.0 administration are reshaping the lives of undocumented students. Through the stories of José and Celeste, readers will gain an up-close look at what it means for young people to lose legal protections overnight while still trying to pursue college and build a future. Through the powerful stories of José and Celeste, this post shows how quickly protections can disappear and why educators and advocates must pay attention to the human cost of shifting immigration laws

We welcome additional comments and reflections, please email us at: srodrig4@umd.edu or through the Immigrant Ed Next website.

By Sophia L. Ángeles

And in fact, Trump has already affected us in that regard. For example, for what I applied for, recall that [the Special Immigrant Juvenile Status] gave us a degree of protection, which technically, that paper said they could not remove us from the country because we already had a case with immigration, so we were protected. But now Trump has taken it away. I mean, we still have our case with immigration. We're on a waiting list. But not anymore. [Individuals] can no longer obtain work permits or social security numbers. And if an immigration agent sees me and believes that, or well, maybe not me, but if they think it is necessary to remove me, then they can remove me. – José

In the last couple of months, the new administration has revoked a slew of policies leaving immigrant youth vulnerable.

One of the first actions of the Trump 2.0 administration was to terminate a policy that limited federal immigration enforcement in or near “sensitive” areas, including K-12 schools. In recent months, federal agents have attempted to enter K-12 school grounds, including elementary schools in Chicago and Los Angeles, to gain access to immigrant children and youth.

In addition, the new administration has rescinded several policies related to those seeking asylum, TPS holders, SIJS, and DACA recipients. The termination of these policies has put many immigrants in “legal limbo” with many becoming undocumented overnight. Scholars have long examined how immigrants throughout their lifetime will move from one legal status to another, often from a more precarious one to a more secure one. However, at present, most immigrants have found themselves losing protections they once had.

The current administration continuously criminalizes immigrants in popular discourse. Now with a state-imposed daily quota to arrest 3,000 individuals and to deport 1 million in one year, the mass production of illegality is perilous for the present and future of immigrant youth.

Immigrant Youth in Los Angeles, California

From 2020 to 2021, I examined how Esperanza High School (a pseudonym) worked to prepare recently arrived immigrant youth for college. During that academic year, I interviewed 75 newcomer youth across 9th to 12th grade to better understand their access to college readiness opportunities (e.g., college-preparatory courses, college and career counseling and financial aid information tailored for immigrant students). Four years later, I re-interviewed 10 immigrant youth to examine how their postsecondary experiences had been shaped by their experience as an “English learner” and their (changing) immigration status.

The story of José showcases how the fate of immigrants can change overnight. I first met José as a freshman at Esperanza High School. In 2024, three years after our last interview, we discussed what life as a high school graduate entailed. José was one of a few newcomer youth who enrolled in college after high school graduation. Unfortunately, he was also one of the handful of students who were undocumented throughout his high school career. Many of his peers were seeking asylum. However, everything changed when he visited a Dream Resource Center at a local state university campus and inquired about his possibilities to adjust his status: “the immigration lawyer's services, the school paid for it, and it was something very, very good. Something that I feel good about.” With the help of the legal team at Dream Resource Center, José went from having “no formal security” as an undocumented individual to being granted deferred action and a work permit through the Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) program. More importantly, José now had a pathway towards legal permanent resident status though the journey might be long as researchers have estimated that over 100,000 immigrant youth are trapped in the SIJS backlog.

Unfortunately, after his interview in late June 2024, José’s fate had once again changed with Trump’s election that same November. On June 6, 2025, the Trump 2.0 administration “rescinded the policy of categorically considering deferred action for special immigrant juveniles.” Overnight, José became susceptible to deportation. He shared, “I couldn't leave the country. But they couldn't get me out. But now, with the Trump [policy], it's like I'm back in the same place.” Amidst waiting for his immigrant visa number, José was cognizant of the fact that he was deportable. Once his work permit expired, his future looked bleak despite working diligently to complete his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering.

Like José, Celeste, whom I had met as a sophomore at Esperanza High School, had similar experiences. Four years after having last spoken, Celeste was a young mother. Though her plans had been to matriculate at a four-year university right after high school, she opted to enter the workforce to support her family. Throughout my time at Esperanza High School, her teachers and I were aware of the fact that she had legal appointments to attend as she sought the designation of SIJS. In our 2024 interview, Celeste shared:

They approved me. They approved SIJS for me, but after approving SIJS, it's a long road ahead. I'm waiting for an immigrant visa number because there aren't any, there are no visa numbers [available]. . . But because of the pandemic and all that, they have a backlog and they can't give [a visa number]. . . Those who entered in 2018 are being served right now, barely in 2024.

After she had completed two semesters at the local community college and after the current administration had terminated deferred action for youth with SIJS, Celeste shared how this new change in law was informing her urgent need to secure a job:

I have a work permit, but it expires in 2026. I don't know if you heard, but the SIJS program is cancelled, if I'm not mistaken. I was part of that program. And so, I won't be able to get a work permit anymore once mine expires because of the new rules the government has created. So, I spoke to a lawyer, and they told me my option is to get a full-time job, and that the work permit I have now would be valid as long as I didn't change jobs.

With a semester to go, Celeste’s goal was to secure a job that offered greater security than her previous ones, especially as a young mother of two. At the same time, Celeste confided that she was aware that she could be deported. Questions about where she would go and what would happen to her U.S.-citizen children remained difficult to answer.

Resisting The Whims of a Cruel Administration

As the Trump 2.0 administration moves quickly to redefine who is “illegal,” it behooves educational scholars as well as practitioners to recognize how immigration policies shape the everyday lives as well as the futures of immigrant youth. Contrary to popular belief, the legal avenues to adjust legal status are constantly changing. For both José and Celeste, their career prospects and the well-being of their families are now at stake. These particular times require us, educators, to acknowledge the various ways in which immigration policies collide with everyday schooling. Here are actions which we can collectively take to keep anti-immigrant policies at bay:

Acknowledge the insidious effects of anti-immigration policies on the lived experiences of immigrant youth, including those who are U.S. citizens and might live in mixed-status households

Call on school administrators to adopt a “Welcoming Schools” resolution and protocol in which educational agencies affirm their commitments to providing a safe and welcoming learning environment to all students, regardless of immigration status

Advocate to ensure school campuses have a Dream Center to ensure that immigrant youth and their families have access to free (or low-cost) legal services

Write to your local representatives demanding the constitutional rights of immigrants are protected, including their right to due process

Be sure to follow us or tweet about #ImmigrantEdNext

Suggested Citation: Ángeles, S. (2025, August 15). Immigrant Youth and Legal Precarity during Trump 2.0. Immigrant Ed Next.