Funding to provide legal services and counsel to undocumented student at Cerritos College has been approved for by the Associated Students of Cerritos College.
The legislation was passed on the first of November with 12 senators approving the proposition and seven opposing it.
However, there was a second vote to approve or scrap the legislation. The first vote ended with 11 senators voting for approval of the legislation and eight voting against approval.
Some senators complained that the procedure occurred too fast and that that was the source of their confusions.
Other senators cited unclear information and unanswered questions as their reason for their confusion and ultimate opposition of the bill.
The funding would come from the Pepsi Sponsorship account.
The account will be renamed the Cerritos College Undocumented Students Legal Services Fund.
Senator Graciela “Grace” Espejo, psychology major, said quoting Cesar Chavez, “‘In order to make a great dream come true the first requirement is the great capacity to dream and the second is persistence,’ so by showing persistence with trying to pass this legislation I know it is going to have a great impact on the students who need help.”
The proposition has come after the current presidential administration and immigration actions jeopardizing DACA, AB 540 and other undocumented students’ education in the United States.
Espejo stressed in her legislation that “ASCC is committed to supporting education and student success, with additional aid needed to provide immigration legal consultation in order to foster student equity.”
To “foster student equity” Espejo proposed that ASCC commence a Cerritos College Undocumented Students Legal Services Fund.
The fund would finance “immigration workshops and provide immigration legal support and consultations for all undocumented students regarding best current considerations and practices.”
Espejo said “We have to take into consideration that these students on campus AB 540, undocumented, DACA, dreamers, all of them they are on a time frame and the faster we could have this approved, the faster the students get the assistance.”
Senator Philip Herrera, culinary major, backed Espejo on her proposition by voting in support of passing the legislation.
Herrera said, “My support goes strongly with any undocumented student and like to label myself as an ally of undocumented students.”
In response to the hesitation from other senators Herrera said, “Politically, the hesitation that I saw from fellow senators was justified about what the amount was and where it was coming from. However, I would urge them to do their homework and read beforehand so that we don’t ask questions that were already answered.”
