Students from all walks of life attend classes and discussions at Bakersfield College, including immigrant students. In this current political landscape, many of those students could be concerned or confused about their rights and obligations but BC helps to provide resources and education for them, such as the web talk Know Your Rights, presented by Yazmin Calvillo, the senior legal service provider at BC over a Zoom meeting on Oct. 15, 2025.

Calvillo covered different resources, legal guidelines, and routes that students can access when needed. Calvillo explained a few scenarios and realities of being an immigrant in America. For example, she went over the 100-mile border zone in America. This border zone is an area of America within 100 miles of any border, either with Mexico, Canada, and even anywhere along the entire coastline of the United States. This region allows federal immigration agents to board public transport and stop people that they suspect of being an undocumented immigrant here in America. That is why Calvillo emphasized the importance of making sure all useful and legal documentation that students are meant to have with them is with them on their person. “Your safety documents won’t help you, if they are not with you,” said Calvillo.

Along with keeping the correct documents with you, Calvillo clarified that expired documents are actually worse to have on your person that no documents, because Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents may use that to add additional charges of fraud and false documentation to people that they may detain.

“The safety of students here on campus is very important, and BC wants to give students the resources to move through their college experience with safety,” Calvillo said.