Undocumented voices are often not included in mainstream discussions, particularly during election season. People with undocumented status in the United States do not have a social security number, which means they cannot vote, work legally, apply for loans or receive federal aid.
In the weeks preceding the 2024 presidential election, three undocumented students spoke to The Emory Wheel about their experiences, highlighting the urgent need for representation and advocacy within the political landscape. The students explained that the barriers they face are not only difficult to live with, but can also serve as a constant reminder of their lack of a say in elections — a time when sharing voices is necessary to make impactful change.
This Q&A has been edited for clarity and length. All students were kept anonymous out of concern for their safety.
The Emory Wheel: How do you feel about the 2024 election?
Student 1: This is an important election. I feel like the candidates who are running right now … will really determine a lot for us. On one side, you have someone who is not good morally, just not a good person, and then you have a person [who is] also not perfect, but she has a lot of policies that could favor us and my beliefs, not just about immigration but political beliefs.
TEW: Do you like the candidates?
Student 1: I don't like Trump, but I do like Kamala. … Overall, she's just a better candidate. I'd say abortion, that’s a right that we should have. … She talks about immigration reform. … She would be better for us.
Student 2: There's one [candidate] that's particularly very scary, and because of that I am encouraging my family and my friends that can vote to vote, especially because a lot of them do have immigrant, undocumented family members.
Student 3: I would definitely say I'm leaning more towards the Democratic Party, just comparing what conditions the country were in and what we had as President Donald Trump. Also, watching them speak is probably not the best source, but knowing how they’re portraying themselves to the public leaves an impression on you. So, I have not been very impressed, for lack of better words, with the Republican Party for the past few years.
TEW: How do you feel your position as an undocumented student is going to influence you during the election?
Student 3: Peers of my age group have been trying to reach out to the community who can vote in order to be able to, at least, better the situations we currently are in as far as laws in Georgia and the United States in general. It definitely will affect who I hope will win. I can't vote, but I always tell people, “Vote for me,” because these are things that we aren't able to change directly, but we have a voice that can do that for us, then it's really helpful.
TEW: Do you think your identity influences your politics?
Student 2: Absolutely, I feel it's impossible for it not to, especially when it comes to the fact that it plays a big role in your place in this country and your place in your state. It's like at any second of the day, of the year, of a presidential election, of a term, it could be [at] risk. And because of that, someone always lives at risk.
Student 3: It shapes what political views I may lean more towards, especially because different officials will have different ideas for how to shape a country for different groups of people. … Being undocumented definitely will affect my political ideas and perspectives. Not just only that, but also being a member of the Latinx community, being a first-generation student, having immigrant parents, all those sorts of things.
TEW: Do you face any internal conflict knowing you can’t vote?
Student 1: Part of me does. I feel like I don't get a say in these decisions. I don't have that voice. Some people have this privilege to vote and they don't, and I wish I had that. All I can do is encourage other people to vote, but I won’t get that experience of going to a poll and getting to cast my vote that speaks for other people or even myself. And that is sort of dehumanizing because other people can do it — other people I grew up with and who did the same things, went to the same schools. They have that right, but I don't, simply because of where I am from, and that wasn’t a decision I made myself.
Student 2: I feel that my internal conflict is … mostly with my family because of the fact that I personally know a lot of my family members can vote and they choose not to vote. … A lot of my family members happen to be undocumented … and it's this frustration because it's been a reality for me. I don't really have a say specifically in the numbers of voting, but I try my best to talk to my family and friends that can.
Student 3: It definitely is upsetting, especially since, at least with the curriculum in Georgia when I was growing up in school, there was always that sense of responsibility that when you grow up and you turn 18, you have to vote because voting is important. … As a kid, before I found out I was undocumented, which was middle school, I was always excited, and I would tell my parents, “I can’t vote this election, but I'll be able to in the next decade or so.”
And you know, especially because in my mind, there's also that pressure of knowing which candidates would make decisions that could negatively or positively impact my family and myself. Upon finding out, I was quite distraught, because it just reinforces the fact that you're a little alienated compared to a lot of the people you know that are citizens. Even now, it still makes me kind of sad, especially because it's such an important election year that I won't be able to. But, I guess the way I would cope with that is I have friends who can vote, so I try to encourage them to go out and get registered and be able to vote for me.
TEW: What are the ways voters can be allies to undocumented voices during this time?
Student 1: Voting. Telling people about it too. I know some people may say, “I don’t like either candidate” or “My vote doesn’t matter,” but spreading the message that it does, that it has a big impact is important, especially in states right now like Georgia. … The number one way is being a voice for people who don’t have that voice.
Student 2: Just conversation and empathy especially. … Acknowledge the fact that there is fear. … Last presidential election with Biden, I feel like there was more a broad conversation. … This year, … it doesn’t feel like something that’s really important to people. People are trying to convince people to do this, do this, do this. … There is fear that is shared with your family members getting deported because of policies and promises that people think are going to be kept. Especially that was the case with Donald Trump’s presidency, it was very much like, ‘Oh, am I going to be next? Is my family member going to be next?’
Student 3: Just learning about what it means to be undocumented. … Understanding where we come from, why we’re here, why we’re important. We're not just … outsiders trying to find a place to fit in. We're already part of the community. And even though our circumstances are different, we are as close to citizens as any other American citizen could be, with the difference being a few pieces of paper.
