LOS ANGELES, Calif. — When he was a two-and-a-half-year-old, Jeffry Umaña Muñoz moved to America as an undocumented immigrant alongside his mother from El Salvador. 

What You Need To Know

  • California Assembly Bill 2586 would allow undocumented immigrants to work legally at universities and communty colleges

  • The bill would allow local universities to bypass a provision in federal law that bans hiring undocumented non-citizens because it doesn't fall under any branch of the California Government

  • Although the University of California, California State University, and California Community College systems have said they don't oppose the bill, the institutions are concerned about implementing the regulations due to the federal government

  • Many undocumented immigrants are hopeful of the new bill

Since then, his family has faced many challenges in getting established, but he has been breaking barriers in every way he can.

In 2011, California Gov. Jerry Brown signed the California Dream Act, which allowed undocumented youth to attend public universities in the state.

Muñoz took full advantage and completed his undergrad in Chicano Studies at UCLA.

But as an undocumented immigrant, he wasn't able to work during his time in Westwood.

"I depended almost solely and primarily on a food bank that was community-funded," Muñoz said. "A cafe called the Five-eighty nearby is where I ate meals every single day. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to feed myself through college."

Now, Muñoz is hopeful Gov. Gavin Nesom will sign off on California Assembly Bill 2586, which would prohibit California public colleges from hiring undocumented students from on-campus work because they don't have federal authorization.

The bill would allow local universities to bypass a provision in federal law that bans hiring undocumented non-citizens because it doesn't fall under any branch of the California Government. 

Although the University of California, California State University, and California Community College systems have said they don't oppose the bill, the institutions are concerned about implementing the regulations due to the federal government. 

Some of those concerns are focused on the impact of federal funding, as well as how the hiring of undocumented students for on-campus jobs could negatively impact other students and faculty on a federal level. 

"I don't think the federal government will go through with cutting funding," said Gabriel Buelna, an immigration attorney at the Buelna Law Firm and content creator on TikTok. "I think people can make all kinds of arguments that students are going to be [affected] if they went to some school that allowed students that are undocumented, that's just people reaching really, really far."

For Muñoz, the bill's approval is deeply personal.

He's now a grad student at California State University, Los Angeles and led a group of roughly 100 undocumented students on a march to the Capitol to emphasize the importance of the potential changes.

If he can get an on-campus job, it would do wonders for Muñoz.

"I'll be able to retain myself in school," he said. "And be able to provide financially not only for myself, but also support my parents, and more than anything the opportunity to support my community."

Gov. Newsom has until Sept. 30 to make a decision on CA Bill 2586.