The University of California at Berkeley has broken its silence about the detention of a student whom immigration authorities accuse of overstaying his visa.
The student, Luis Mora, was arrested on December 30 by U.S. Border Patrol agents while visiting his girlfriend in the San Diego suburb of Chula Vista, Calif., according to The San Diego Union-Tribune. Jaleen Udarbe said she and Mr. Mora were heading home from a party when they missed a turn and ended up at an immigration checkpoint.
Mr. Mora is being held in a temporary cell, a spokeswoman for the Border Patrol in San Diego told the newspaper.
Carol T. Christ, Berkeley’s chancellor, said in a statement on Monday that she had sent a supportive message over the weekend to student activists working to “end this detention.”
“While I explained that student privacy laws and UC policy limit what we may say publicly about this matter, I assured them — and by extension all who care deeply about this matter — that campus leadership is taking all appropriate actions to support the student’s interests so that he may continue his studies and his life as a valued member of our community,” read the statement.
The university is also trying to ensure that Mr. Mora has access to legal services and other resources to end his detention, Ms. Christ said in her statement.
When the Trump administration announced that it planned to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which allowed some undocumented immigrants to work, attend college, and build lives in the United States without the imminent threat of deportation, Ms. Christ and two other Berkeley administrators released a statement supporting undocumented students.
“The termination of DACA not only undermines the lives and futures of undocumented students but also places particularly at risk those currently with DACA status since they have submitted proof of their undocumented status to the government,” read the statement.
Mr. Mora was brought to the United States from Colombia as a child. His lawyer, Prerna P. Lal, who works with the East Bay Community Law Center and with Berkeley’s Undocumented Student Program, said they are asking students to collect letters of support for his bail hearing.
Mr. Mora’s biggest concern isn’t a potential deportation, the lawyer said. It’s missing class. The lawyer said they are working with counselors to ensure that Mr. Mora graduates with a political-science degree in 2019.
Fernanda Zamudio-Suaréz is a breaking-news reporter. Follow her on Twitter @FernandaZamudio, or email her at fzamudiosuarez@chronicle.com.
