With the rise of a presidential administration that is intolerant toward immigrants and undocumented individuals, it is more pertinent than ever that the Undocumented Trojan Success Assembly has entered their first year as an Undergraduate Student Government-recognized assembly. UTSA was developed from its predecessor, the student organization IDEAS: Improving Dreams, Equality, Access, and Success, which was founded in Spring 2011.

“This idea started off a year ago. In March or April 2024 we were approached by one of our executive board members, [USG senator and presidential candidate] Heydy Vasquez,” said Melissa Paz-Flores, assistant director of UTSA. “[Vasquez] was pushing us on the idea of incorporating as an [assembly] because she recognized the need for this certain identity: that there weren’t enough spaces for it just yet, and being an assembly would really help pave that way.”

For UTSA, the process of becoming an assembly was a quick one: The organization secured the necessary 200 undergraduate student signatures and then some, and drafted their constitution within 10 days. However, the directors’ path to achieving UTSA’s goals — in founding an undocumented student resource center, for example — has been anything but easy.

“We did meet with a director of a program that shut us down and said, ‘There are enough resources for undocumented students at USC, we don’t think we can go with the resource center because there’s not enough funding and there’s not enough space,’” UTSA co-executive director Alexa Hernandez Diaz said. “That was, I’m not going to lie, a slap in the face.”

Regardless of setbacks in UTSA’s initiatives, with this new classification comes new power. As an assembly, UTSA is able to have a wider reach at the University, allowing them to better advocate for the undocumented community.

“Being [an assembly] under USG, we have so much more visibility — more people have access to what the Undocumented Trojan Success Assembly is,” UTSA co-executive director Diana Cervantes said. “Hopefully, with that, other undocumented students and allies know that we’re on campus and we can help guide them throughout this journey.”

The central mission of the assembly is derived from the personal experiences of UTSA’s members and a desire to see better representation for undocumented students on campus.

“Growing up, my mom was an activist [for immigrants], and I remember being a little girl and going with her to these immigrant advocacy marches, going to the detention centers and protesting outside of those,” said Paz-Flores, a junior majoring in psychology.

Paz-Flores’ mom’s work informed her own advocacy in college at Tufts University, but after transferring to USC her sophomore year, she was dissatisfied with the resources available for undocumented students.

“IDEAS was such a wonderful community, but it really angered me that there [weren’t] enough spaces for resources for students,” Paz-Flores said. “We’re in a predominantly Latino immigrant area, and to not have access to those resources within our own institution is really appalling.”

Similarly, Diaz’s and Cervantes’ immigration status impacted their ability to pursue academic opportunities in childhood and college.

“I always grew up with a sense of fear about my status, about being let down by certain opportunities and not being able to reach my highest potential as a student, as a human and as a citizen of the world,” said Diaz, a senior majoring in journalism.

For Cervantes, a senior majoring in business of cinematic arts and pursuing a master’s degree in social entrepreneurship, her status informed her concern for future generations that will be confronted by the same obstacles.

Ultimately, through UTSA’s events and advocacy work, Cervantes, Diaz and Paz-Flores hope to bridge feelings of disconnect and isolation among undocumented students, finding ways to create an enduring community that empowers them to succeed at USC.

UTSA’s ability to play an active role in the student body is fueled by a “passionate” team and executive board that supports one another in their collective efforts to serve the community and organize events. The assembly hosts a yearly Undocumented Student Week of Action, a tradition that has continued since the inception of IDEAS.

“It’s a moment to really honor undocumented students, mixed status students [and] individuals with diverse identities,” Paz-Flores said. “It was very impactful because it definitely crossed boundaries and it opened up the space for students who aren’t undocumented or who don’t resonate with the identity to support us more.”

Looking ahead, Cervantes, Diaz and Paz-Flores plan to hold more events this year, including a talent show, bringing back Armando Ibanez, a filmmaker sharing stories about the undocumented experience for a screening and discussion, as well as hosting a career panel featuring immigrant or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipient alums.

UTSA’s directors are committed to building a stable community around students who fear the uncertainty of what the undocumented and immigrant experience may look like in this country.

“Even if there’s a few, a handful of [undocumented] students, there’s always a need for these students to be validated, recognized and supported,” Diaz said.

Disclaimer: Melissa Paz-Flores is a former photographer, and Heydy Vasquez is a former opinion columnist for the Daily Trojan. Paz-Flores and Vasquez are no longer affiliated with the organization.

Correction: A previous version of this article improperly attributed a photograph and did not include a photo caption. The article was updated Feb. 14 at 2:49 p.m. to reflect the correct attribution and add the photo caption. The Daily Trojan regrets this error.