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(She/Her/Ella) First-generation professional, educator, speaker & Nepantlera 🦋

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Martha Villegas Miranda, MSSW
(she/her/ella)
Director, TRIO Talent Search REACH Grant
(Realizing Educational Access for College & Higher)
Broward College  mvillega@broward.edu

Doctoral Student, Ph.D. Higher Education Leadership, Florida Atlantic University (FAU)
Research Focus: Undocumented students in higher education

#My Why is to foster a culture of belonging, empower people to fulfill their intellectual destiny and greater purpose in life!

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Four Mexican high school students form a robotics club. With no experience, 800 bucks, used car parts and a dream, this rag tag team goes up against the country's reigning robotics champion,... Read all Four Mexican high school students form a robotics club. With no experience, 800 bucks, used car parts and a dream, this rag tag team goes up against the country's reigning robotics champion, MIT. Four Mexican high school students form a robotics club. With no experience, 800 bucks, used car parts and a dream, this rag tag team goes up against the country's reigning robotics champion, MIT.

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By what name was Spare Parts (2015) officially released in Canada in English?

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Spare Parts: Directed by Sean McNamara. With George Lopez, Marisa Tomei, Jamie Lee Curtis, Carlos PenaVega. Four Mexican high school students form a robotics club. With no experience, 800 bucks, used car parts and a dream, this rag tag team goes up against the country's reigning robotics champion, MIT.

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Migration Policy Institute Immigrant-Origin Students in Higher Education (October, 2020)

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Migration Policy Institute Immigrant-Origin Students in Higher Education (October, 2020)

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Immigrant-Origin Students in U.S. Higher Education: A Data Profile

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Immigrants and the children of immigrants make up a large and growing segment of students at U.S. colleges and universities—up from 20 percent in 2000 to 28 percent in 2018. This fact sheet offers a first-of-its-kind profile of this population’s size and growth, identifies the top states for these s…

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Undocumented Immigrant Populations in the U.S.

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Undocumented Immigrant Populations in the U.S.

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Learn about the estimated 11 million unauthorized immigrants living in the United States. Where do they live? When did they arrive in the United States, and from which origin countries? What are their levels of education, top industries of employment, incomes, parental and marital status, health care coverage, and more? Using a unique MPI methodology to assign legal status in the U.S. Census Bureau's 2014-18 American Community Survey data, this data tool provides detailed sociodemographic profiles for the United States, 41 states (plus the District of Columbia), and the 127 counties with the largest unauthorized populations. And for topline estimates of unauthorized immigrant populations for 269 counties, click on the spreadsheet at right.

Hover over a state for data, and for dark teal states, click on state for detailed profile

County Profiles

To access detailed data profiles for the 127 counties in the United States with the largest unauthorized populations, click on the state of interest below to display individual profiles. For topline estimates of the total unauthorized population for 269 counties, click on the teal button below or the spreadsheet link at right.
Download Topline Estimates

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Use this unique data tool to learn about unauthorized immigrant populations in the U.S. and by state and for top counties. Get detailed data profiles for the United States, 41 states (plus the District of Columbia), and the 127 counties with the largest unauthorized populations.

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We are unafraid educators with and for undocumented students. 

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We are unafraid educators with and for undocumented students. 

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First Latino DACA recipient to win the Rhodes Scholarship from Miami, FL. 

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First Latino DACA recipient to win the Rhodes Scholarship from Miami, FL. 

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this student just became the first latino daca recipient to win the rhodes scholarship - cnn

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This student just became the first Latino DACA recipient to win the Rhodes Scholarship. He says it's all because of his elementary school teacher

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In second grade, Santiago Potes walked into Marina Esteva's gifted and talented classroom at Sweetwater Elementary School in Miami, Florida, for the first time.

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Enrique's Journey recounts the unforgettable quest of a Honduran boy looking for his mother, eleven years after she is forced to leave her starving family to find work in the United States. Braving unimaginable peril, often clinging to the sides and tops of freight trains, Enrique travels through hostile worlds full of thugs, bandits, and corrupt cops. But he pushes forward, relying on his wit, courage, hope, and the kindness of strangers. As Isabel Allende writes: "This is a twenty-first-century Odyssey. If you are going to read only one nonfiction book this year, it has to be this one." Now updated with a new Epilogue and Afterword, photos of Enrique and his family, an author interview and more, this is a classic of contemporary America.

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Enrique's Journey recounts the unforgettable quest of a Honduran boy looking for his mother, eleven years after she is forced to leave her starving family to find work in the United States. Braving unimaginable peril, often clinging to the sides and tops of freight trains, Enrique travels through hostile worlds full of thugs, bandits, and corrupt cops.

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It is crucial that advisors, advising administrators, and all members of the higher education community understand how to best assist and advise undocumented, DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals), DREAM (Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors) Act, and immigrant students. The resources on this page can be used by advisors, lecturers, retention specialists, managers, and all campus members to meet the needs of students who need institution-wide support to graduate successfully and achieve their personal and professional goals.

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Working with Undocu, Dreamer, and Immigrant Students Index

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NACADA promotes and supports quality academic advising in institutions of higher education to enhance the educational development of students. NACADA provides a forum for discussion, debate, and the exchange of ideas pertaining to academic advising through numerous activities and publications.

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United We Dream is the largest immigrant youth-led network in the country. We fight for justice and dignity for all immigrants.

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United We Dream | The Largest Immigrant Youth-Led Network

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United We Dream is the largest immigrant youth-led network in the country. We fight for justice and dignity for all immigrants.

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The Florida Immigrant Coalition (FLIC) is a statewide coalition of more than 30 member organizations and over 100 allies.

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In this episode, Martha interviews Ana Campa about navigating college as an undocumented, returning adult student and how she won a $31,000 scholarship to complete her bachelor's degree.

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My Undocumented College Journey - Dream U.S. Scholar

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Martha interviews one of her former students on how to apply for scholarships. Spanish episode from a DACA perspective.

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Advice for all students.

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DACA student receives $31,000 Dream US Scholarship

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JJC's Campa Castillo Receives Dream U.S. Scholarship, Named Outstanding Leader

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Ana Campa Castillo, who will graduate from Joliet Junior College this month with an associate degree in psychology, is this year's recipient of the Outstanding Leadership Award by the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs (OMSA).

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Brian Herrera receives DREAM US Scholarship, 1st undocumented student trustee

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Brian Herrera receives DREAM US Scholarship, 1st undocumented student trustee

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It seems like things could not be going better for former Joliet Junior College student trustee Brian Herrera. In addition to becoming the first person in his family to walk across a college graduation stage, he was recently named the recipient of the ILACHE Emerging Leader Award and earned one of the best gifts he's ever received in his life - a full-ride scholarship from Dream.US to complete his bachelor's degree.

"This has just been so unbelievable," Herrera said. "I just have to keep my momentum going now, and keep trying to make a difference."

Earning these two achievements is the perfect way to end his career at JJC, but the political science major said his success has not come easy, and there were times when he thought he wasn't going to make it.

Herrera first came to the college as an undocumented student and DACA (Deferred Action Childhood Arrivals) recipient in 2012. Back then, he didn't have much direction for his future, and wasn't expecting to get involved in school.

But after stopping by JJC's Office of Multicultural Student Affairs (OMSA), Herrera received a peer mentor (former student Ana Marchan) who inspired him to study harder and think more seriously about his future. Herrera was also guided by other OMSA advisers, such as Latino Student Support Specialist Martha Villegas Miranda, who encouraged him to get involved in student activities, including leadership opportunities, which eventually led to his nomination as JJC's student trustee in 2014.

Without the help of OMSA, Herrera's life would have turned out much differently.

"Those people pushed me to become motivated about school," he said. "Their support helped me to realize how important being involved is."

During his year serving for JJC's board of trustees, Herrera said his most notable accomplishment was helping to pass a new residency requirement, written to reflect ICCB guidelines instead of federal guidelines, that lessened the number of days students needed to live in-district in order to receive in-district tuition.

Herrera wanted to finish his studies at JJC after his time on the board, but his DACA benefits expired, which made it impossible for him to receive financial aid, scholarships, and employment. Herrera felt like he was on top of the world when he was student trustee, but then things started to go astray.

He was determined to finish his degree, though - after serving as an example to all the other students while he was on the board, he knew he couldn't stop leading by example now.

During this time, he also made it a priority to stay involved in school and work toward his passion of helping other undocumented students like himself. Herrera even became a part of developing a new undocumented student support group called DALE (Dreamers Advancing in Leadership and Education).

In the meantime, Herrera applied for the Dream.US scholarship and found out that he'd been nominated for the Emerging Leader Award, but he didn't think anything of it at the time.

When he found out he was the recipient of both honors, it was life changing for him.

"I kept thinking, this can't be real. I asked myself: am I living in a movie or something?" he said.

The reality didn't start to sink in until he updated his social media accounts with the news, and started getting comments from friends and family.

"Brian is a true example and inspiration to all students," said Villegas Miranda. "Community colleges are an affordable and accessible pathway to education, in particular for undocumented students like Brian. JJC provided so many excellent resources for him to excel."

Now, the proud scholarship recipient says he plans to attend DePaul University in Chicago this August, the next step on his journey to becoming a lawyer or politician, specializing in immigration reform. He's also proud to have won the Emerging Leader Award - an honor bestowed upon a student that demonstrates outstanding leadership skills and presented by the Illinois Latino Council on Higher Education.

"Even though it's not the end, coming here to JJC has really helped prepare me for my future, and it has helped me grow and mature," Herrera said. "I really care about this college, and I wouldn't be who I am without the OMSA office, the amazing professors, all the opportunities... I became the first person in my family to walk across that stage, and now I'm on my way to making my dreams and my parents' dreams come true."

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Former JJC Student Trustee Brian Herrera Receives Emerging Leader Award, Dream.US Scholarship

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It seems like things could not be going better for former Joliet Junior College student trustee Brian Herrera. In addition to becoming the first person in his family to walk across a college graduation stage, he was recently named the recipient of the ILACHE Emerging Leader Award and earned one of the best gifts he's ever received in his life - a full-ride scholarship from Dream.US to complete his bachelor's degree.

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Santiago Potes Is 1st Latino DACA Recipient To Be Awarded Rhodes Scholarship

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Santiago Potes Is 1st Latino DACA Recipient To Be Awarded Rhodes Scholarship

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Santiago Potes is one of the hundreds of thousands of DACA-recipients currently living in the U.S. His parents fled Colombia when he was four years old, traveling with Potes to Miami.

Now, Potes, 23, is a graduate of Columbia University and also the first Latino DACA recipient to be awarded a prestigious Rhodes Scholarship.

"I just couldn't believe it," he tells NPR's Morning Edition. "I just thought that they were going to call me, and say 'Oh, we made a mistake. Sorry about that, we actually didn't choose you.' "

Santiago says his love for learning really took off when he was selected for Marina Esteva's gifted classroom at Sweetwater Elementary when he was in the second grade.

"It was just such a rigorous elementary school education," he says. "It was kind of like an intellectual boot camp for elementary school students."

Potes says Ms. Esteva became his mentor.

Esteva remembers Potes as an attentive learner who took a special interest in her lessons about what it means to be a Renaissance man.

"That word hit him profoundly ... and he said to me at that time, 'That's what I want to be. I want to be a Renaissance man.' And now he's a Rhodes Scholar," she tells NPR. "That little boy flourished into what he is now."

Potes says he wasn't even sure he should pursue the scholarship because the status of DACA - the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which protects against deportation for some brought to the U.S. as children - was in flux. When the Supreme Court ruled in June for DREAMers like him, he decided to pursue the Rhodes scholarship process. He applied in August and was notified late last month he'd been selected. "If they hadn't ruled in favor of DACA then I just wouldn't have applied."

As one of the 2021 Rhodes Scholars, Potes will head to the University of Oxford in the UK this fall. He plans to study for a Master's degree in international relations and from there, he wants to come back to the U.S.

"I wanna be a national security expert working at the Department of State or working as a counselor to a senator," Potes says. "I want to use my academic research to help the United States, ultimately."

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Santiago Potes Is 1st Latino DACA Recipient To Be Awarded Rhodes Scholarship

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Santiago Potes is one of the hundreds of thousands of DACA-recipients currently living in the U.S. His parents fled Colombia when he was four years old, traveling with Potes to Miami. Now, Potes, 23, is a graduate of Columbia University and also the first Latino DACA recipient to be awarded a prestigious Rhodes Scholarship.

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Undocumented student trustee

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Joliet Junior College student Brian Herrera is one step closer to his dreams after the JJC community voted for him as the new student member for the JJC Board of Trustees last April.

Herrera is a political science major who hopes to become a lawyer someday.

Herrera decided on law because he wants to fight for what he's passionate about - underrepresented minorities and immigration law.

Today, Herrera participates in various student clubs and activities. As student trustee, one of his goals is to promote diversity and encourage students to work toward their dreams by using what resources JJC has to offer - anything from counseling to peer mentoring or using the Tutoring Center or Career Services Office.

Herrera is extremely passionate about his future career and student life at JJC, but he wasn't always this involved. He credits the college with helping him grow into the person he is today.

As an undocumented student and a DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) recipient bestowed by the U.S. government, Herrera came to the United States with his family as an infant. He spent a lot of his early life in Chicago, and wasn't active in school.

In 2009, Herrera and his family moved to Crest Hill where he attended Lockport Central High School. Back then, he wasn't sure which direction his life was heading.

Everything changed once he stepped onto JJC's Main Campus in 2012. Unsure of what to expect from college, Herrera decided to participate in JJC's Peer Mentor Program, where another student Ana Marchan counseled him. He also received support and motivation from an adviser in the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs.

"Those people pushed me to become motivated," Herrera said. "Their support helped me to realize how important being involved is. I feel like this school truly helped me. I am proud to be here. JJC really changed my life, and made me who I am today."

After those first steps, Herrera soon found himself getting more involved on campus, becoming more confident, and making his studies a priority. This is when he realized his dream of becoming a lawyer. Herrera's determination and ability to work hard led him to becoming JJC's newest student trustee.

Part of the reason why he wanted to become student trustee is to help other students who were just like him, back when he was a first-year student at the college.

"As student trustee, I definitely want to be known to the student body. I want to assist students, and inform them about what's going on. I want to make a difference and help students succeed here, especially the students who have a lack of support," Herrera said. "My main focus is to inspire students to dream and make their dreams a reality, because everything seems impossible until somebody does it."

To Herrera, having an informed student body at JJC is a necessity - which is why he is the first student trustee to give a monthly Board of Trustees report to the Collegiate Club Council. From there, JJC club leaders inform their members about what's going on at the college. Herrera also plans to host "free food" events where students can talk to him about the issues they are passionate about.

Pam Dilday, JJC director of student activities and campus life, thinks Herrera is a great student representative.

"Brian is well connected with clubs at JJC and makes sure students are aware of things happening around the college," Dilday said. "I'm confident that he will continue being a great student trustee."

Other goals Herrera has for his time as student trustee include increasing student enrollment and helping students achieve their educational goals - whether it be graduating, transferring, or something entirely different.

"JJC offers programs that help students with communication, involvement, becoming a better leader - all things they may need to know in the career world," Herrera said, adding that if he hadn't ever sought the help when he was a new student on campus, his life could have turned out totally different.

In addition to being JJC's student trustee, other activities Herrera is involved in on campus include: Latinos Unidos, the JJC Collegiate Council, JJC Student Government, peer mentors, Brother2Brother, the Black Student Union, the International Student Club, G.L.O.W., and the psychology club.

Herrera plans to graduate from JJC in May 2015, and then transfer to Governors State University where he can pursue his ambitions in law.

For more information about the Board of Trustees, visit http://www.jjc.edu/about/administration/board-of-trustees/Pages/default.aspx.

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JJC Student Spotlight: Trustee Brian Herrera is One Step Closer to Achieving His Dreams

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Joliet Junior College student Brian Herrera is one step closer to his dreams after the JJC community voted for him as the new student member for the JJC Board of Trustees last April. Herrera is a political science major who hopes to become a lawyer someday.

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Joliet, IL

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Immigrant students graduating from Joliet Jr. College, 1st public community college in the nation- affordable and accessible for all! I'm very proud of the hard work of this Class of 2017 students! Adelante!

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Martha Villegas Miranda - Define American

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Your browser does not support the video tag. Immigrant students graduating from Joliet Jr. College, 1st public community college in the nation- affordable and accessible for all! I'm very proud of the hard work of this Class of 2017 students! Adelante!

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The Refugee & Immigrant Center for Education & Legal Services

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The Refugee & Immigrant Center for Education & Legal Services

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Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services

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Log into Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family, and people you know.

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Our Stories are Undeniable! | United We Dream

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Immigrant communities need relief now! Watch the Undeniable Stories of people whose lives would change with a pathway to citizenship.

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TheDream.US | Scholarships for Undocumented Students

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Helping undocumented students across the U.S. fulfill their college and career dreams—because nothing should stand in your way of a college education.

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NASFAA's Tips for Students_ Tip Sheet for Undocumented Students

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Scholarships Open to Undocumented Students

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(Last updated on October 2021) We are continually expanding this list and featuring scholarships with approaching deadlines so be sure to return to this page periodically. [Deadline: 10/8/21] Calif…

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2020-2021 scholarship Application for Young Hispanic Leaders

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To provide a secure and credible source of information regarding financial aid, college application information, and student clubs/organizations dedicated to undocumented students in Illinois. Our goal is to keep undocumented students informed about all of the opportunities available to them so that they have all the tools they need to plan for their future.

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Applying Appreciative Advising Workshop - Broward College Advising Conference (June, 2021)

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Applying Appreciative Advising Workshop - Broward College Advising Conference (June, 2021)

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Applying Appreciative Advising to Advance Inclusion of Undocumented Students in Higher Education 1

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RESEARCH: Inside the Numbers: How Immigration Shapes Asian American and Pacific Islander Communities

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RESEARCH: Inside the Numbers: How Immigration Shapes Asian American and Pacific Islander Communities

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Advancing Justice | AAJC (Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC) and Asian Americans Advancing Justice-LA present Inside the Numbers: How Immigration Shapes Asian American and Pacific Islander Communities. The report goes in depth into Asian American and Pacific Islander community demographics, including contributions to the U.S. economy. The report covers immigration pathways, examines what is not working in the current immigration system, and offers recommendations for policy changes to protect the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities and to improve the immigration system. Download the full report.

Download individual issue briefs:
For an interactive version of the report, please click here.

A map of the AAPI population by county. For the interactive version, click here.

Disaggregated data reveal the income disparities among AAPI groups.

South Korea, The Philippines, and India are Asian origin countries with the highest participation in the DACA program. Learn more in our issue brief.

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Inside the Numbers: How Immigration Shapes Asian American and Pacific Islander Communities

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Advancing Justice | AAJC (Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC) and Asian Americans Advancing Justice-LA present Inside the Numbers: How Immigration Shapes Asian American and Pacific Islander Communities. The report goes in depth into Asian American and Pacific Islander community demographics, including contributions to the U.S. economy.

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Stories & Strategies - FCAN Conference - shared with participants 5.16.22