South Carolina Advocacy

Dictionary.com defines the word ADVOCATE as "(v) to speak or write in favor of; support or urge by argument; recommend publicly; to act as an advocate; (n) a person who speaks or writes in support or defense of a person, cause, etc.; a person who pleads for or in behalf of another; intercessor" (2024).

Carolina TESOL South Carolina Advocacy Brochure

Why Should We Advocate For Our Students?

Students who are considered Multilingual Learners (ML) in the State of South Carolina can face obstacles as they progress through school and pursue post-secondary education.

In South Carolina, undocumented students are prohibited from attending public universities. In all 50 states, MLs cannot legally receive any federal funding (think FAFSA) including federal loans, federal grants, and federal scholarships. While the 2024 release of the updated FAFSA allowed students who are US citizens with non-citizen parents to complete the application, the federal government faced a "disaster" in its online debut and many students were not processed in a timely manner.

In addition, here in South Carolina, undocumented students are also prohibited from attaining professional licensure in any field - teaching, medicine, emergency services, cosmetology, other trades, etc. Though 2023-24 legislation was proposed to help Dreamers (DACA) to pursue licensure and certification, it was never taken up in committee or voted on the SC House or Senate floors. Without a pathway to college or professional licensure, what opportunities are there for undocumented students in South Carolina?

DACA, or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, started in August 2012 under President Barack Obama, but in September 2017, President Donald Trump announced that his administration was ending DACA immediately. Though it was challenged in courts across the United States, it wasn't until June 2020 that the US Supreme Court concluded that the termination was unlawful. Unfortunately, on October 5, 2022, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in Texas published their decision affirming that DACA is illegal.

On his first day in office in January 2021, President Joe Biden sent his Immigration Bill, also known as the US Citizenship Act, to Congress to help establish a path to citizenship for immigrants, including Dreamers. "Dreamer" is a term given to those who are affected by DACA and the DREAM Act (Executive Order, never passed in Congress). However, this bill was met with great opposition and the original plan to establish a path to citizenship now comes with restrictions and obstacles. Not receiving traction, it was tabled and the version of the bill that still remains is a skeleton of the original legislation draft.

On June 18, 2024, President Joe Biden announced a "parole-in-place" program aimed at helping undocumented spouses who have resided in the United States for at least ten years. It would fast-track legal permanent residency (green cards) for these spouses and also include the undocumented step-children of U.S. citizens. This would assist approximately 50,000 children in the United States, one step closer to allowing them to pursue higher education in this country.

Senators and Representatives on the state and federal levels for South Carolina have not come to a consensus regarding DACA or an updated pathway to citizenship for immigrants already in the United States. As mentioned above, undocumented students are also denied access to certification/licensure tests for high-need fields such as social work, nursing, and skilled trades in our state. However, our Congressmen cannot deny the impact that immigrants have on the South Carolina economy. According to 2022 American Immigration Council (AIC) research, South Carolina immigrants contribute "$8.6B[illion in] spending power" and "2.8B[illion in] total taxes paid" including "$902.0M{illion in} state and local taxes" in the state. Keeping students in-state and allowing them to pursue higher education in South Carolina may further contribute to the "$791.4M[illion in] total business income of immigrant entrepreneurs."

This is partly a reflection of the hard work that ML educators put in daily. We must continue to push our students to reach their potential and advocate on their behalf!