Attendees listen in on a training provided by the New Mexico State University and Dona Ana Community College Immigrant Student Issues Committee regarding higher education options for undocumented students, students with Differed Action for Childhood Arrivals status and students with foreign transcripts. (NMSU courtesy photo)

New Mexico State University's Center for Latin American and Border Studies will present a talk on undocumented students in higher education at 4 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 14, at the Nason House, 1070 University Ave.

Jose Luis Benavides from California State University, Northridge will present "The Need for Transformative Allies of Undocumented Students in Higher Education."

Benavides will talk about undocumented student activists, who have been working for 15 years for access, equal opportunities and immigrants' rights in higher education. Across the nation, university faculty, staff and administrators joined early in these student activists' effort. Their energies have centered on helping students overcome their individual challenges rather than fostering a university environment that aims at collectively working for systemic changes.

He said the purpose of this program is to initiate a dialogue for NMSU students and others about the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act, often referred to as the Dream Act. In the last 10 years, "Dreamers" across the United States have organized different venues to educate the public on this issue as well as to influence Congress to pass relevant immigration reform legislation.

Recent data released by the U.S. State Department indicates there are more than 4,000 Dream Act students in New Mexico who have been granted relief under Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals legislation.

The event is free and open to the public. For more information, visit clabs.nmsu.edu.