UNDOCUMENTED/DACA AT NORTHWESTERN

State policies impacting immigrants vary widely across the U.S. Students should consider if the state they are relocating to is inclusive of undocumented immigrants. For example, students should review state policies impacting:

• Access to public benefit programs (such as health insurance or food stamps); and
• Access to Driver’s License (the ability for undocumented immigrants to qualify for a Driver’s License or ID card in the state they want to relocate to).

Following the May 7th, 2025 deadline for REAL ID enforcement, undocumented students may be unable to travel by plane (please see the Traveling as an Undocumented Student section of this page for more information). 

Students who are ineligible for REAL ID identification and do not have other alternative forms of identification for air travel should consider the viability of future travel plans between their potential site of relocation and their home state. Students should consider alternative transportation options, such as driving or taking the bus/train. To learn more about immigration-specific considerations when taking ground transportation such as bus or train, please see Immigrants Rising’s Guide for Undocumented Individuals Traveling in the U.S.. 

U.S. Border Patrol operates various traffic checkpoints and have the discretion to conduct checks, ask for travel documentation, and search vehicles within 100 miles of the U.S. border. Undocumented students should consider whether the city they are relocating to is close to any U.S. border patrol checkpoints.

Keep in mind that, even if undocumented students have the required form of identification, they should not be flying internationally without first consulting a lawyer (including cases of international layovers and travel to U.S. territories), as leaving the U.S. may trigger bans that do not allow undocumented immigrants to re-enter the U.S.

Certain immigrants can receive permission to re-enter the U.S. after temporarily traveling abroad through a process known as advance parole. To learn more about advance parole and eligibility, please see Informed Immigrant’s guide on Traveling with Advance Parole in 2024. 

If a students’ desired profession requires obtaining a license (for example, a law license is required to practice law), undocumented students should consider whether the state where they wish to be licensed have any immigration-related requirements to successfully obtain that licensure. To learn more about professional licensing policies by state, please see Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration’s state-by-state breakdown of professional and occupational licensure eligibility for undocumented immigrants.