Kareli Lizárraga — Activism Beyond the Classroom

Kareli Lizárraga is a first-generation low-income DACAmented student in the Education, Culture, and Society program in the Graduate School of Education. She is passionate about the intersections between immigration policy, race, education, and the Latinx identity. Her research focuses on the impact and importance of sanctuary campuses on the experiences of undocumented students in higher education. Kareli is currently the Associate Director of the Center for Hispanic Excellence: La Casa Latina.

Writings

Featured

Community Engagement

No ICE, No Fear

Community Engagement

On the evening of October 23, along with dozens of other students and staff at the University of Pennsylvania, I attended a protest to shut down a speaking engagement with the director of ICE, Thomas Homan at the Perry World House. As an undocumented immigrant, Penn alum, and Associate Director of La Casa Latina, I felt deep hurt and anger that my alma mater and employer was providing a huge platform to someone who has been responsible for separating millions of families and violating fundamental human rights.

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Community Engagement

Opinion

Protections Not Just for Dreamers

Opinion

For the past two years, I’ve had to prepare for the distinct possibility of being deported. My future, and the future of 800,000 other DACA recipients, hang in the balance. On November 12, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments about whether the present administration’s decision to wind down the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program was lawful. At the same time, attention and support for those with DACA should also extend to millions of other undocumented immigrants in the United States.