How Three States in the American South Made College Illegal for Undocumented Students

Over a decade ago, Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina enacted policies that prevent undocumented students from attending some or all public colleges and universities in their states. The Republican-led policies were justified by the argument that undocumented students were taking away opportunities from American citizens. The result has been that, with a few exceptions, generations of undocumented students have been deprived of the opportunity to attend public colleges in the states where they grew up. With DACA being ruled unlawful, students are facing even fewer options.

For this project, Marcela Rodrigues travels through the American South to document for The Chronicle of Higher Education the long-term effects of the bans and examine the impacts on both the students and the states themselves.