Abstract
This qualitative study explored how fully undocumented Latinx first-generation college students experience and navigate higher education in the context of legal and institutional exclusion. Unlike prior research that often combines the experiences of students with varying forms of legal protection, this study focused exclusively on those with no legal status (e.g., DACA, TPS), a population that remains underexamined despite significant risk and exclusion. Through semi-structured interviews with three participants at a public university in California, this study used thematic analysis guided by the Cycles of Deportability framework to identify key stressors, strategies, and support needs. Three central themes emerged: status-based stressors, including invisibility, ineligibility for aid, and fear of exposure; strategic navigation and agency, reflecting students’ use of mentors, peers, and internal motivation; and cyclical resilience and evolving adaptation, highlighting how participants recalibrate their goals and coping strategies over time. While the study’s scale limits broad claims, the findings offer insight into how undocumented students actively resist exclusion and persist in higher education. This research contributes to emerging scholarship on undocumented student experiences and suggests areas for future inquiry and institutional improvement, including more inclusive resource centers and supports tailored to fully undocumented students’ legal and emotional realities.