UCLA group promotes awareness of undocumented students

UCLA’s undocumented student group will hold a series of events this week to call attention to undocumented individuals’ needs and how deportation affects their families.

The Improving Dreams, Equality, Access and Success student group, which represents undocumented students at UCLA , will hold its annual “National Coming Out of the Shadows” week to highlight immigration reform and showcase stories of undocumented communities .

UCLA enrolls more than 450 undocumented students , the most of any University of California campus . In total, there are about 900 undocumented students in the UC system, UC officials have said.

The series of events includes a rally to be held Wednesday at noon in light of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s lecture, saying Clinton has not taken a strong stand against the deportations that have occurred during President Barack Obama’s administration .

Undocumented student concerns have become especially prominent since the appointment of UC President Janet Napolitano last year. Undocumented students are among her harshest critics, citing the deportation records during her term as the secretary of Homeland Security .

Napolitano has taken steps in the past few months to address undocumented student concerns. In October she allocated $5 million to support undocumented students on UC campuses, part of which will be used for student services such as resource centers, specialized staff and academic or psychological counseling . Other amounts from the allocation will go toward financial aid for undocumented students, including loans and work-study positions . Napolitano has also had meetings with undocumented students since becoming UC president last summer.

Compiled by Kristen Taketa, Bruin senior staff.