Graduation is often a time of joy, but for many children of undocumented immigrants and international students, this year’s ceremonies came with more fear than celebration. Instead of celebrating their achievements, some students were left wondering if their families would be torn apart or if they would have to leave the country.

A UC San Diego graduate, a child of Hispanic immigrants, couldn’t share their big day with their family. The graduate’s undocumented parents decided not to attend, fearing they might be detained in an immigration enforcement raid on campus.

UC officials said that, as a public university, they cannot prevent ICE from entering university-owned spaces such as academic buildings, hospitals, or clinics. It is a policy that leaves undocumented families constantly anxious about potential detentions. For students like the UCSD graduate, fear kept loved ones away. For others, it’s separation itself that looms ahead.

A 17-year-old high school senior is preparing for college while facing the possibility of saying goodbye to their family forever. The teen’s undocumented parents and younger siblings are scheduled to return to Mexico next year, leaving them behind in the U.S. “I’ve lived here my whole life and am ready for college,” they said, “but the thought of being left alone terrifies me.”

This has become an increasingly common pattern: undocumented parents leaving voluntarily under pressure from shifting immigration policies, while U.S.-born or long-term resident children remain behind to pursue their education. Beyond undocumented families, international students face their own set of challenges.

For international students, graduation is not a finish line but another uncertain chapter. A Korean international student, who arrived in the U.S. in 2017 and attended both community college and a four-year university, shared their struggles navigating the job market. Despite completing their degree and receiving OPT (Optional Practical Training), they say they haven’t received a single job or internship offer.

“I did everything by the book: TOEFL exams, high tuition, studying nonstop,” they said. “But I’m being told there’s no space for me.”

The 2025 H-1B visa lottery rate stands at just 25%. Even with OPT, opportunities vary significantly by major. According to recent USCIS data, international graduates in STEM fields, such as computer engineering, have an employment rate of 80–85%, while those in humanities and arts face significantly lower rates, ranging from 50–60%.

Some industries, including music and entertainment, have increasingly begun listing “no visa sponsorship available” directly in job postings, effectively closing the door on international applicants before they can even try.

The diploma has become a bittersweet symbol for many immigrant youth—not just a mark of achievement, but a reminder of the legal and social barriers that stand between them and a secure future. For these graduates, commencement signals not an ending, but the start of navigating a system designed to keep them out.

By Chase Karng