LOS ANGELES – In a key win for immigrant rights organizations, a California Court of Appeal ruled that the University of California has not provided sufficient legal grounds to justify its “discriminatory policy” barring the hiring of undocumented students from on-campus jobs.
A UCLA alumnus and a lecturer filed a lawsuit in October arguing that the UC system’s hiring policy violates state law because it discriminates against students based on their immigration status.
Plaintiffs said that, without access to campus jobs, many undocumented students struggle to meet tuition costs and cover basic needs such as housing and food. These students are often forced into the underground economy and miss out on career-advancing opportunities such as research assistant positions…