UNITE-LA Statement on the Future of the California Dream Act

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nov. 21, 2025

UNITE-LA STATEMENT ON THE FUTURE OF THE CALIFORNIA DREAM ACT

Los Angeles, CA (November 2025) — UNITE-LA condemns the federal administration’s lawsuit challenging California’s in-state tuition policy for undocumented students — a direct attack on the California Dream Act and on the young people who are the future of the state’s workforce, entrepreneurs and innovators.

As UNITE-LA sees it, this case is not simply a legal dispute. It is a deliberate attempt to roll back one of California’s most important education and equity victories — a victory shaped in part by UNITE-LA.

“UNITE-LA proudly helped champion the California Dream Act because we know our state succeeds when every student – regardless of immigration status - has the chance to learn, contribute and thrive. Rolling back in-state tuition for undocumented students would not only deny opportunity — it would damage California’s workforce development, economy and our shared future,” noted UNITE-LA President, Alysia Bell. “We stand firmly with undocumented students and their families, as investing in educational equity is foundational for California’s strength.”

For more than two decades, UNITE-LA has been a key, statewide advocate for college access for undocumented youth. In 2001, UNITE-LA, then serving as the education and workforce development department of the L.A. Area Chamber of Commerce, championed AB 540, which established in-state tuition for undocumented students. When the California Dream Act (AB 130 and AB 131 – a set of laws that allows AB 540-eligible students to apply for financial aid) moved through the legislature in 2011, UNITE-LA served as one of the leading business-education intermediaries making the economic case for the Act. We collectively mobilized employers, education leaders and civic partners to support the legislation, emphasizing that:

California’s long-term prosperity depends on all members of our rising workforce — regardless of immigration status — having access to postsecondary education.
Expanding financial aid and affordability strengthens our workforce and fills critical talent shortages.
Employers benefit when our rising workforce has equitable access to postsecondary credentials that lead to high-mobility careers in growing sectors.

The California Dream Act allows eligible undocumented students to:

Pay in-state tuition,
Access state financial aid, including Cal Grants and institutional aid, and
Apply for scholarships funded through eligible California colleges and universities. These policies simply ensure that all members of our rising workforce can afford the postsecondary education required to contribute fully to California’s economy.

UNITE-LA urges:

A united statewide response defending access and equity to educational and workforce opportunities for all students – regardless of birthplace.
Continued protections and expanded supports for undocumented families.
Clear recognition that immigrants are essential to California’s workforce and our shared economy.

“California’s strength lies in its people. All of them,” Bell concluded.

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About UNITE-LA 
Over the past 27 years, UNITE-LA has been a trusted business intermediary, dedicated to supporting the development of an effective local public education system, so that all children and youth succeed in college, career and beyond. Through the intersection of programming, policy, and systems change efforts, UNITE-LA works to increase access to high-quality early childhood education, develop career pathways in high-growth industries, improve college access and success, and ensure workforce readiness, especially for individuals with high barriers into the workforce. Visit www.unitela.com.