And here's a sample letter to write to legislator in VA (if you happen to be from there like I do.)

RE: House Bill 892, Prohibiting admission of illegal aliens to public institutions of higher education

Dear name,

I am writing to respectfully request that you oppose Virginia House Bill 892. This bill would bar admission of undocumented children from higher education in Virginia. After consideration, I believe you will agree that this bill is unfair for undocumented children, unmanageable for Virginia’s schools, and illegal under our U.S. Constitution.

This law is unjust. Many of the children who this bill will affect have lived in Virginia for many years. They speak the language, they belong to school teams and clubs, they have after-school jobs in the area. They are contributing members of the community who do not think of themselves as “illegal.” Prohibiting them from continuing in their education takes away from Virginia’s pool of future doctors, teachers, and professionals. The consequences of this action would be felt for decades.

Virginia’s school system is already plagued with high drop-out rates among children of color. Taking away the prospect of college is likely to heighten this rate- and add to crime, teen pregnancy, and gang membership among children who have no prospect at higher education. It relegates these children to a lower class that can never progress very far in society. And what is worse- it does this because of something their parents did, often long before.

This law puts a burden on schools and universities. The Bill states that it will prohibit “individuals who are unlawfully present in the United States” from attending college. Unfortunately, our immigration system is so complex, it is difficult to determine just who that may refer to. Some students are legally present under a temporary protected status, but may not have a green card. Others may have entered the U.S. as a refugee or under an aslyum Act. They also would not have a greencard. Expecting college admissions directors to be able to navigate the world of immigration law in order to admit students is unfair and very likely to lead to mistakes. Additionally, this places an unfair burden on high school guidance counselors who will find themselves in the position of determining immigration status of high school seniors in order to decide how to advise them.

This law is illegal. It is the sole duty of the U.S. government, in the form of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, to determine immigration status. Asking teachers and admissions counselors to do that is an unconstitutional regulation of immigration- hence why they do not currently do it.

For all the above reasons, I ask that you oppose House Bill 892. If you have further questions, you may contact me at : (contact info).

Sincerely,
name