Wichita State students grapple with immigration uncertainty ahead of Trump’s inauguration

WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - As Donald Trump prepares to return to the White House, conversations about immigration are taking center stage once again. For some students at Wichita State University, these discussions hit particularly close to home as they face growing fears about the future of their education and potential deportation.

Yarid Pizarro, a senior at Wichita State, has lived in the U.S. since he was four years old when he and his family migrated on a visa. However, with the expiration of that visa, Pizarro finds himself in a difficult position, relying on Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) to stay in the country. Despite multiple attempts to renew his status, Pizarro’s application has been pending since December 2020, casting a shadow over his academic career and his future.

“I when it first came, I was reading like, ‘Okay, can he really do that?’” Pizarro shared his reaction to learning about Trump’s planned immigration policies. “Of course, it’s scary. You don’t know if you’ll even be able to finish your four years of college because of something like this.”

And Pizarro is not alone in his fear. Grecia Esparza, another Latino student at Wichita State, echoes his concerns about proposed changes to current immigration policies.

“Living scared every day, living scared of like walking out every time there’s a police officer around, I’m like, ‘Oh my god, do they know? Can they do something about it?”

For many of these students, the anxiety is not just about the future but also about their day-to-day experience.

“Legally, I have no control over it,” Esparzo said. “I try to live day-by-day. I’m here in college, trying to get my degree. And if that’s what God wants, then that’s what’s going to happen.”

One of the significant challenges Pizarro, Esparzo and other students like them face is financial instability. Without a valid visa or DACA status, Pizarro is ineligible for federal student aid, including Pell Grants, FAFSA or work-study programs. And there’s not always someone with all the answers for him to turn to.

“I’m not eligible for FAFSA, I’m not eligible for work-study, I’m not eligible for employment, I’m not eligible for Pell grants,” said Pizarro. “Even if I go to, say, my financial aid, or say I go to like, my academic adviser, like yeah, they can answer those questions for a typical student, but do they know the answers when it comes to students like me?”

Wichita State does have resources for undocumented students, offering information, and a sense of community.

“Sometimes you just need to talk about it,” said Esparzo. “You need someone to listen.”

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