The hope Lupe held on to that fall was that she was not alone. She had a support system through Monarch, a program designed to help students who are undocumented. Students said it allowed them to continue dreaming despite obstacles.

Months later, however, officials abruptly ended Monarch after Texas prohibited state colleges and universities from having diversity, equity and inclusion offices and holding programs based on race, ethnicity, gender identity or sexual orientation. After the new law, known as SB 17, went into effect Jan. 1, many schools eliminated or restructured DEI-related offices.

Students said they weren’t expecting the cut because Monarch’s programming didn’t fall under the provisions laid out in the DEI ban as immigration status is not part of the law. ...

The message that it’s sending students is: you don’t belong here, said Paulette Granberry Russell, president of the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education.