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Undocumented Student Resources

St. Thomas strives to maintain a welcoming, vibrant and diverse community that respects and supports the dignity and well-being of every member. We believe a diverse, supportive and caring community will best enable our students to learn and grow into morally responsible leaders who will advance the common good.

Consistent with our mission, convictions and Catholic identity, we invite prospective students to join our community based on their commitment to our mission and convictions, personal qualities, skills and experience, and potential to contribute to our community and the common good.

Prospective students born outside the United States are welcome to apply, regardless of immigration status. We are committed to supporting undocumented students and students with undocumented family members, who may face unique challenges.

Support at St. Thomas

Immigration-related resources and information are available through the St. Thomas Interprofessional Center for Counseling and Legal Services (IPC). Their Immigration Law Practice Group primarily takes cases referred by The Advocates for Human Rights.

External Resources

There are helpful resources available for DACA students. You can learn more about these resources online.

The National Immigration Law Center (NILC) provides up-to-date information on Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and lawsuits surrounding DACA. You can also follow the issue on NILC Twitter.

The US Citizenship and Immigration Service has a website for those wishing to apply for DACA or renew DACA.

The Immigration Law Center of Minnesota may be able to help in renewing DACA.

Immigrant Rising provides a step-by-step guide to renewing DACA.

If you have questions or concerns, please contact the Student Affairs office at studentaffairs@stthomas.edu or (651) 962-6120.

Minnesota Dream Act

The Minnesota Dream Act (also known as The Prosperity Act) was introduced by Senator Sandra Pappas (SF723) and Representative Carlos Mariani (HF875) and was included in the omnibus Higher Education bill passed by the 2013 Minnesota Legislature and signed into law by Governor Dayton on May 23, 2013.

The MN Dream Act provides certain benefits to undocumented students who meet a number of criteria.

Center for Online Education

The Center for Online Education offers college resources for undocumented students including applying to college, financing aid, and opportunities.

There are approximately 1.7 million undocumented students under the age of 18 in the United States, many of whom have spent most of their lives in the country after immigrating with their parents at an early age. Though they don’t have a passport, these children attend school, learned English as their primary language, and consider themselves Americans. Each year, more than 65,000 undocumented immigrants graduate from high school and many hope to study at an American college or university.

Immigrants Rising

Immigrants Rising (formerly known as Educators for Fair Consideration) offers numerous resources for undocumented immigrants. They describe their core strategies as:

providing life-changing financial support to enable undocumented young people to overcome systemic barriers

developing partnerships with key educational institutions to enhance their support for undocumented students

identifying promising practices that will embolden other educational institutions

equipping undocumented young people with the information and resources needed to navigate life, make informed decisions, and pursue their educational and career goals

developing the leadership capacity of undocumented young people through career training, mentorship, professional development, and opportunities to educate and empower the undocumented community

training undocumented young people to reclaim and share personal stories to heal, strengthen community bonds, transform hearts and minds, and advance policy legislation

United We Dream

United We Dream is the largest immigrant youth-led organization in the nation. It organizes and advocates for the dignity and fair treatment of immigrant youth and families, regardless of immigration status.

Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota

Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota (ILCM) is a nonprofit agency that provides immigration legal assistance to low-income immigrants and refugees in Minnesota. ILCM also works to educate Minnesota communities and professionals about immigration matters, and advocates for state and federal policies that respect the universal human rights of immigrants.

Immigration Law Help

Immigration Law Help is a searchable online directory of over 940 free or low-cost nonprofit immigration legal services providers in all 50 states. Only nonprofits that are BIA recognized or have attorneys on staff are included in the directory.

Users can search Immigration Law Help by state, county, or detention facility. Users can also refine their search by types and areas of legal assistance provided, populations served, languages spoken, other areas of legal assistance, and non-legal services provided.

Immigration Law Help was developed by the Immigration Advocates Network and Pro Bono Net with support from the Four Freedoms Fund.

Immigrant Legal Resource Center

The Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) is a national nonprofit resource center that provides immigration legal training, technical assistance, and educational materials. They engage in advocacy and immigrant civic engagement to advance immigrant rights.

Helpful resources for immigrant families on their website include their Family Preparedness Plan (Plan de Preparación Familiar) and Immigrant Rights (Los Derechos de Inmigrantes).

National Immigration Law Center

Established in 1979, the National Immigration Law Center (NILC) is one of the leading organizations in the U.S. exclusively dedicated to defending and advancing the rights of low-income immigrants.

The National Immigration Law Center offers helpful resources for immigrants which include:

  • DACA
  • Health Care Issues
  • Know Your Rights (Conozca Sus Derechos)
  • Rights During Immigration Raids (Proteja a Su Familia a Frente a las Redadas de Migración).

National Immigration Project

For 45 years, the National Immigration Project has promoted justice and equality of treatment in all areas of immigration law, the criminal justice system, and social policies related to immigration.

Their success is built upon a foundation of nationwide members and supporters, including attorneys, law students, judges, jailhouse lawyers, advocates, community organizations, and individuals seeking to defend and expand the rights of immigrants in the U.S.

The National Immigration Project has tools to help immigrants defend their rights. Some of these tools include:

Private Immigration Attorneys

To find a private immigration attorney to help you with your case, visit: