Monthly meeting offers Toro confidential support and access to campus resources.
By Carlos Merlo, Staff Reporter
As the Trump administration ramps up immigration enforcement nationwide, campus organizations at CSUDH are holding space for Toros to share their concerns and build community.
Launched in 2018 as an offshoot of the campus group Espíritu de Nuestro Futuro, which offers resources for undocumented Toros, the Home support group meets once a month and is co-hosted by the Health and Wellbeing office and the Immigrant Justice Center (IJC).
The confidential, student-led space offers undocumented students and those from mixed-status families a chance to voice concerns, learn coping strategies, and connect with campus resources.
“We support the emotional situation that presents itself,” said Norma Quintero, a licensed psychologist at CSUDH and one of the facilitators. She said the sessions emphasize community-building through student-led discussion and self-care, including paint and sip events.
Quintero facilitates the group alongside Arlin Gonzalez, the interim program director of the IJC. Gonzalez told The Bulletin that she also uses the space to connect students with resources available both on and off campus.
Gonzalez recalled early conversations with Quintero about how the program should take shape—from its format and frequency to its overall purpose.
“If there are any upcoming events related to the topics we talk about, we highlight those along with any on- and off-campus resources that can be useful to our students,” she said.
“Even from the very beginning, it was just that we would meet five times a semester for an hour on Tuesday,” said Gonzalez, adding that the demand for such support has grown over the past year.
“A lot of students—not just undocumented but students of mixed-status families—are reaching out to the IJC,” Gonzalez said. “It’s not just for Home or one-on-ones, but for legal support for various reasons.”
Quintero too has observed the same trend, noting that students are also seeking other campus services.
“Students want to support their families and will come to [Teddy’s Pantry], or they may be concerned with housing, they’ll discuss that with Toro CARE,” she said.
Immigration enforcement has been top of mind for many students at Dominguez Hills, particularly for those who are undocumented. One student told The Bulletin the trip back to campus was like navigating a “minefield.”
“I have to come really early to campus and leave late to reduce my chances of potentially running into ICE,” said the student, who requested anonymity because of safety concerns.
The fear is not unfounded. On the morning of July 1, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers used a university parking lot as a staging area for operations in the city of Carson.
Although no enforcement action took place on campus and no one from the campus community was targeted, CSUDH President Thomas A. Parham issued a campuswide email that evening disavowing ICE’s presence.
“This is a particular violation at CSUDH, given the student population that we serve and our mission to uphold the dignity and humanity of our student body,” Parham wrote. “Our campus is and must remain a safe place for our entire community.”
Parham noted reports of ICE detaining people without showing proper identification or warrants, including documented immigrants and even citizens.
“What we can do is continue to raise our voices and support each other in times of need,” he continued. “Our staff have reached out to elected leaders at every level of government to let them know about today’s events and the concern that they caused.
Some Toros told The Bulletin they were concerned that the university alerted the campus about the staging only hours after it occurred.
“At that point, people weren’t aware. People don’t even check their emails,” said Fernando Lorenzana, a computer science student. “What they should’ve done differently was either alert students through text or social media.”
During a Sept. 3 meeting of the Academic Senate, Gonzalez said more than 300 undocumented students were enrolled last fall. She added that the IJC has not released enrollment figures for this year, but some students may have chosen to pause their education.
While the university cannot stop vehicles from entering and parking on campus, Parham said during the Senate meeting that CSUDH would explore whether it could designate campus lots as non-public spaces.
Just days later, on Sept. 8, the Supreme Court lifted a temporary block on ICE agents conducting roving patrols in Los Angeles.
“During our events, we hand out red cards as a resource,” said Xochitl Gallardo, a student assistant at the IJC. “Right now, we are preparing for a Know Your Rights event with the purpose to remind everyone of their protections and share information about our legal services.”
Gallardo encouraged students not to hesitate to contact the IJC for information.
Both Gonzalez and Quintero emphasized that they welcome suggestions to improve the space, reminding students that Home exists for them.
“We want to encourage students if they’re looking for community,” Quintero said. “If they’re feeling alone, afraid, conflicted and confused? We are all in this together, and we are here to build that community.”