Five universities are holding separate graduation ceremonies for undocumented students this spring. At several schools, the locations are secret.
Campus Reform identified the five schools: Cal State Stanislaus, Cal State Long Beach, Cal Poly, the University of Washington, and Rutgers University in New Jersey. Four of them are public universities. All receive taxpayer funding.
Locations Kept Private
At Cal State Stanislaus, the ceremony location is listed as “private.” The school says the event honors undocumented students, mixed-status families, and their supporters. Eighty graduates signed up to attend. The public — including taxpayers who fund the school — does not know where it is.
The University of Washington calls its event an “Undocu Graduation Celebration.” The school’s Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity supports it. A student group called Leadership Without Borders organizes it.
Cal State Long Beach holds a “Beyond Borders Celebration.” The school’s website says the event supports students “impacted by immigration policy.” Cal Poly hosts a “Monarch Reception” for graduating undocumented students. Rutgers in New Jersey holds an “Undocumented and DACAmented Graduates” ceremony.
What Makes This Different
Many universities hold separate graduation events for specific groups. Veterans, first-generation students, and various cultural groups all hold their own celebrations. None of those events hide their locations.
The secrecy here serves a specific purpose. These schools appear to be keeping locations private to protect attendees from federal immigration enforcement. That is a deliberate institutional decision — made with public resources, at public universities.
None of the five schools has explained this publicly. No statement addresses why taxpayer-funded staff and facilities are being used this way. No statement explains how these events fit with federal funding obligations.
The Question Left Unanswered
Immigration policy is genuinely contested. Reasonable people disagree on DACA, on enforcement, and on the right path forward. Those debates are worth having.
But public accountability is a separate issue. Public universities answer to taxpayers. So far, these five schools are choosing silence over transparency.
No federal agency has announced any response. The ceremonies are moving forward as planned.
Key Points
- Five universities — four of them public — are holding separate graduation ceremonies for undocumented students, with some keeping locations secret
- Unlike other affinity graduation events, the secrecy appears designed to shield attendees from federal immigration enforcement
- None of the five schools has offered any public explanation for the secret locations or the use of taxpayer-funded resources
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2026/05/outrageous-colleges-plan-private-graduation-illegal-aliens/ – May 18, 2026
