Editor’s Note: This article uses the term “undocumented students” to refer to the students at Colorado State University who are permanent United States residents but do not have legal citizenship. This is how CSU refers to these students.

The ability to vote is one that every citizen gets at the age of 18 in the United States. Voters in this country get to decide who is going to represent them at the local, state and federal levels, but citizens aren’t the only ones directly impacted by policy.

As of 2022, there were nearly 19 million college students enrolled in the United States, most of whom were eligible to register to vote and cast ballots in elections at every level of government.

According to a 2021 survey, among those millions are 408,000 undocumented students, none of whom are allowed to vote in federal, state or most local elections, meaning they are unable to participate in the electoral process and make democratic decisions in the same way as their American citizen peers.

Under the 14th Amendment and the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution, only natural-born citizens of the U.S. are allowed to vote in state and federal elections.

Colorado State University continues to emphasize the importance of voting both in the lead up to the election and throughout the thematic Year of Democracy. But of the more than 33,000 students at CSU, 136 are undocumented students, Associated Students of CSU Sen. Vladimir Lora Pardo said, who can’t participate in democracy through voting.

This doesn’t mean students can’t still engage with democracy in other ways. On Sept. 11, an anonymous group of undocumented students put a poster on the Lory Student Center Plaza that read, “Our presence in higher education is a right, not a privilege.”

The poster was a way for undocumented students to use their voices and defend their rights anonymously in order to protect their security on campus.

Immigration has been one of the main political issues in this election cycle. The issue was heavily focused on during the Sept. 10 presidential debate, with both presidential candidates dedicating time to discussing their views on immigration.

Former President Donald Trump hosted a rally in Aurora, Colorado, Oct. 11 that focused on his immigration policy. His visit to Colorado in the middle of a tour to several battleground states came after he repeatedly used Aurora as an example on the campaign train in comments regarding immigration.

Undocumented students at CSU can’t vote in the election, so they have to participate in civic engagement another way.

“We talk about the American dream a lot, … but I’m living in an American nightmare. Every single day, I wake up, and in the back of my head, I’m thinking about how I’m putting my blood, sweat and tears into this degree, … and there’s a possibility where when I graduate, I won’t be able to use this degree because … you need to have a work permit, or you need to be a U.S. citizen, or you need to have a social security number in order to work (in) this country.” -Vlad Lora Pardo, CSU student

Lora Pardo is the first undocumented senator in the Associated Students of CSU, representing the first generation and undocumented students with the Academic Advancement Center.

“I feel like I actually have the power to make others feel included and make others feel represented and make them feel like they belong in a country that tells them that they don’t belong,” Lora Pardo said. “I feel like I have the power through just advocacy. I feel like I have the power to feel seen (by) not only myself but my community. But at the end of the day, it only goes so far.”

Lora Pardo represents the 136 undocumented students enrolled at CSU. Lora Pardo said support for undocumented students through the Undocumented Student Success program includes the USS coordinator position, funded every two years through ASCSU. Lora Pardo is fighting to continue funding the position. Lora Pardo’s goal is for the position to be based funding, meaning the role would be entirely donor operated and built into the university.

“CSU takes a lot of pride in saying that they’re very inclusive, very equitable, very diverse,” Lora Pardo said. “And I set foot on this campus, and I say, ‘If it comes down to it, will CSU fight for me? Will CSU make efforts to support me if ICE comes on campus? Will they take the initiative to not give out information about undocumented students?’”

Lora Pardo said he is unabashedly proud of his work and advocacy for undocumented students in ASCSU and vowed to fight for his family, his community and himself in the face of immigration challenges.

“I advocate for these individuals — for all 136 of these individuals — because I want them to feel seen,” Lora Pardo said. “I want them to feel heard. I want them to feel like they belong. And nobody talks about the imposter syndrome that you feel … not only for me personally, not only as a first-generation student but as an undocumented individual.”

Lora Pardo said anti-immigration rhetoric surrounding the 2024 national election has instilled uncertainty about the future for him and his family.

“When I was younger, individuals asked us, ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’” Lora Pardo said. “And, oh, I remember how I would dream. I’d be like, ‘Oh, I want to be the next U.S. president. I want to be a doctor. I want to be a surgeon.’ And then further on, once you start looking at the opportunities you have, you get another question: ‘What’s your social security number?’ And that’s when you freeze and you’re just like, ‘OK, I trust the people in power that they’re going to see that all we’re striving for is a better future.’ But unfortunately, that’s not the case.”

Through his advocacy work, Lora Pardo has met with CSU President Amy Parsons as well as state senators and congresspeople, being publicly open about his undocumented identity to request critical resources for undocumented student mental health and success.

“We talk about the American dream a lot, … but I’m living in an American nightmare,” Lora Pardo said. “Every single day, I wake up, and in the back of my head, I’m thinking about how I’m putting my blood, sweat and tears into this degree, … and there’s a possibility where when I graduate, I won’t be able to use this degree because … you need to have a work permit, or you need to be a U.S. citizen, or you need to have a social security number in order to work (in) this country.”

As of Sept. 13, 2023, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas ruled to stop U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services from approving initial applicants for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, a citizenship program that defers action against undocumented individuals who come to the United States as children and grants them permission to work in the United States.

“Fort Collins is not a dangerous city, but I do worry about other undocumented people across the country, especially as I expect that there will be riots and upheaval no matter the outcome of the presidential election.” – CSU student 

Current DACA recipients and applicants for renewal of DACA maintain their status, and DACA status can be renewed every two years. Before the ruling, DACA could be granted to any undocumented citizen who came to the United States before their 16th birthday.

Despite DACA status, voting privileges are not issued to any undocumented citizen.

“Genuinely, for my community, it feels almost like this wall in this bubble, and everyone in the bubble are people who can vote, people who can use their voice and things like that,” Lora Pardo said. “But it feels like, for me, it’s like I’m outside of this bubble, and I’m like, ‘Listen, listen, I want you to advocate for me. Vote for me. Vote on behalf of me.’”

The Collegian sent an anonymous survey to members of the undocumented community at CSU surrounding their experiences with civic engagement.

“Supporting those that have the ability to vote so that they can make those important decisions (is important),” an anonymous student said. “By ‘support,’ it may be reminding them to register to vote (or) to read up on the available options.

“Fort Collins is not a dangerous city, but I do worry about other undocumented people across the country, especially as I expect that there will be riots and upheaval no matter the outcome of the presidential election,” the same student said when asked to share additional thoughts on the topic.

Lora Pardo made the decision to attend CSU based on the support provided to undocumented students, and he is active in advocating for his community and urging the university for better support.

“I made sacrifices to be open about my undocumented identity and advocate for our community because if I didn’t do it, probably nobody would,” Lora Pardo said.

Lora Pardo expressed fear that members of the undocumented community are experiencing, both relating to changes in DACA regulations and the unknowns of the national elections. 

“When it comes to the undocumented community, a lot of them are suffering in silence,” Lora Pardo said. “And so the reason that I advocate so strongly for the undocumented community is because, at the end of the day, I just want people to see that we’re also human. I want to get others to see that we’re also just human.” 

Reach Allie Seibel and Hannah Parcells at life@collegian.com or on Twitter @CSUCollegian.