📢 Tears, Rage, and a Call to Action: The Night Pima Community College Students Demanded Justice

Emotional testimony reveals devastating impact of federal funding cuts to TRIO Upward Bound and Hispanic Serving Institution grants—but will the board actually fight back?

Oct 09, 2025

😽 Keepin’ It Simple Summary for Younger Readers
👧🏾✊🏾👦🏾

Imagine programs that help teenagers whose parents never went to college prepare for their own college journey 🎓—tutoring 📚, campus visits 🏫, help filling out confusing forms 📑, even paying for college applications 💵.

These programs called TRiO Upward Bound really work: kids in them are almost 50% more likely to finish college 🎉!

But the federal government just canceled Pima Community College’s programs and took away over $6 million 💸, claiming (weirdly) that helping disadvantaged students somehow “violates civil rights” 🤔.

Fifteen people came to a big meeting to beg the college leaders to join lawsuits fighting back 📝. A 15-year-old girl named Maria cried 😢 and asked “where do I go now?” because her parents never finished high school 🎒 and came to America hoping she’d have better opportunities—opportunities that are disappearing 😞. Alumni who became successful because of these programs, teachers 👩‍🏫, and even the program director all said the same thing: “Join the lawsuit. Fight back. Don’t let bullies win 💪.”

But so far, the college leaders just listened and haven’t decided to actually fight yet 🤷‍♂️. Now everyone’s organizing to show up at the next meeting on November 12th 📅 to demand they take action before it’s too late ⏳, because staying quiet when something wrong happens doesn’t make it better—it just lets the wrong thing keep happening 🔇.

✊🏽 Fifteen Years Strong - Help Three Sonorans Keep Telling Our Stories!

Three Sonorans

Jun 14

Read full story

Give a gift subscription

🎓 “Sue These Fascist Bastards”: Pima Community College Faces Reckoning Over Trump’s War on Educational Equity

Students, alumni, and advocates demand action as millions in federal grants vanish overnight

In a packed boardroom at Pima Community College’s District Office on October 8th, 2025, the ghost of educational apartheid manifested not in hoods and burning crosses, but in bureaucratic letters from Washington claiming programs helping brown and black students “violate civil rights.” The bitter irony wasn’t lost on anyone present.

🗝️ Takeaways

🎓 Massive Funding Loss: Pima Community College lost 5 of 10 TRIO grants ($3.2M lifetime, $1.56M annual) and $2.7M in HSI grants
📊 All Upward Bound Programs Targeted: Every single discontinued TRIO grant served high school students—programs with proven 47% higher degree completion rates
💔 Students Testified Through Tears: 15 speakers, including current high school students, begged the board to join federal lawsuits challenging the cuts
⚖️ Legal Challenges Underway: Council for Opportunity in Education and Hispanic Association of Colleges & Universities have filed lawsuits
🤷 Board Took No Action: Despite hours of emotional testimony, PCC’s Governing Board made no commitment to join legal challenges
📍 Precedent Exists: In 2017, PCC joined lawsuit supporting DACA students—but this time, silence
💰 State Funding Context: PCC receives virtually no state support ($209M short since 2009), making federal cuts even more devastating
🎯 Coordinated Attack: Part of broader Trump administration effort to eliminate “DEI” programs and minority-serving institution support

The Pima Community College Governing Board meeting started routinely enough—student senators celebrated leadership, and social media innovation connected with Gen Z.

Then reality crashed through the door like a battering ram.

More than a dozen students, alumni, and advocates took to the microphone during public comment to deliver a unified, urgent message: the federal government’s dismantling of TRiO Upward Bound and Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) grants isn’t just budget cuts. It’s ideological warfare against educational equity.

And the targets?

Nuestros hijos. Our children. First-generation college students. Low-income families. The same communities that have been systematically denied access to higher education for generations.

The Devastating Numbers: When Millions Disappear Overnight

Before public comment began, Joseph Mais, Director of Community and Government Relations, delivered the grim statistics that set the stage for the emotional testimony to follow.

According to reporting from Inside Higher Ed and EdSource, the Trump administration has systematically targeted programs serving disadvantaged students nationwide.

At Pima Community College alone, the damage is staggering:

TRiO Grants Lost:

5 of 10 TRiO grants discontinued
$3.2 million in remaining lifetime funding eliminated
$1.56 million annual loss for FY2025
All five discontinued grants were Upward Bound programs serving high school students

HSI Grants Terminated:

$2.7 million net loss
Strive Online program canceled
STEM IT grant ($875,000) in jeopardy

The cancellation letters, as reported by the Council for Opportunity in Education, claimed these civil rights programs—programs designed to remedy historical discrimination—somehow “violate the letter or purpose of Federal civil rights law; conflict with the Department’s policy of prioritizing merit, fairness, and excellence in education.”

Let that Orwellian doublespeak marinate for a moment. Programs created specifically to provide equal access to students systematically excluded from higher education are now accused of violating civil rights. The audacity. The sheer, unmitigated gall.

Despite strong advocacy from Arizona’s congressional delegation—Representatives Ciscomani, Senators Kelly and Gallego, and even Representatives Stanton and Ansari (who don’t represent Pima County but stepped up anyway)—on September 30th, the college received initial letters saying three of five reconsideration requests were granted.

The next day?

The Department of Education sent follow-up letters admitting their mistake: all five reconsideration requests were denied.

Imagine the emotional whiplash—hope restored one day, only to be crushed the next. For the students and staff affected, this wasn’t merely bureaucratic confusion; it was devastation with a federal seal.

A United Call: Fifteen Voices, One Demand

What followed the administrative presentation was extraordinary. Speaker after speaker—current students, alumni spanning decades, educators, faculty—approached the microphone with a singular, urgent demand: Join the lawsuit. Fight back. Draw a line in the sand.

The message wasn’t subtle. It wasn’t diplomatic. It was a community in crisis demanding their elected representatives show courage in the face of federal bullying.

The Alumni: “We Are Living Proof These Programs Work”

Alberto Campos set the tone early. An NAU graduate (class of 2015) and TRiO Upward Bound alumnus (2007-2011): “I am a first-generation college student. The services that the Upward Bound program provided were fundamental in my continuing education,” Campos testified, his voice thick with emotion.

“I didn’t know what FAFSA was. My parents didn’t know what FAFSA was.” His father never attended college. His mother—an immigrant from Mexico, now a U.S. citizen—came seeking the American dream.

Fighting back tears, he concluded: “I strongly urge you to join the COE lawsuit against the US Department of Education. Because it’s the right thing to do.”

Dr. Sarah Hannah Gomez, armed with a PhD and 15 years of perspective since teaching for Upward Bound, delivered perhaps the evening’s most quotable line: “Cowards lay down in front of bullies. If you don’t want to be cowards, if you want to actually do your jobs and support your constituents, you’ll join the lawsuit. Because this is an unlawful cancellation of the Upward Bound grants.”

Her extensive educational background—from Tucson public schools to a PhD from the UA College of Education—gave her authority to compare educational environments.

“I’ve never been more impressed with anything than with Upward Bound. It’s been 15 years since I taught for Upward Bound, and those students still stand out in my mind, and so do my colleagues. They were the most interesting, and they taught me the most about myself and about how to be a teacher.”

She warned: “Bullies never just go, ‘oh thanks,’ we will never bother you again after they come for one thing. This is your chance to stand up. So please join the lawsuit.”

Cassandra Chavarria, a former student of TRiO Upward Bound at Desert Vista Campus and current University of Arizona alumna, reminded the board of PCC’s own mission statement: “Your mission statement states that you guys put emphasis on meeting the diverse needs of all the students who are trying to better themselves through education. Our students, the TRiO Upward Bound students, are students who are all dreamers. They’re students who aspire to break the systems of oppression that are trying to keep them away from pursuing higher education.”

She introduced the concept of the “hidden curriculum”—the institutional knowledge about navigating higher education that’s often passed down through generations. “This is a matter of privilege, and privilege should not dictate whether these students achieve their goals or are able to pursue higher education.”

“The best thing about TRiO Upward Bound is their sense of community,” Chavarria explained. “The community, not only a community of learners and scholars, but also a community of friends who are here to advocate for one another because we believe in each other. We believe in ourselves and we believe in the purpose.”

Sebastian Dominguez, joining via Zoom, kept it simple: “I think that education is a right and not a privilege. And I ask that you give the Upward Bound program their grant back.”

Hakima Abdul-Kadir, a 20-year-old UA junior and Upward Bound alumna, delivered one of the evening’s most passionate speeches. She began by acknowledging the exhaustion: “I think throughout the days while contemplating on coming here, one thing that was coming through my mind is what am I going to say to you guys. And the only thing I found out is we’re all very tired. It’s tiring. These kids shouldn’t even be here. Not to say that we’re not entitled to be in the space, but they shouldn’t be here. We’re the adults of today. We have a duty.”

“TRiO Upward Bound is magic. It’s beautiful. These kids deserve to take up all the space in the world,” she declared.

As a product of TRiO Upward Bound herself, Abdul-Kadir leaned on Pima Community College when her educational journey became shaky. “Pima got me right again. And then Upward Bound gave me a job. They reminded me I was more than exceptional.”

She challenged the board directly: “Don’t deny your power. You’re in these seats for a reason. You were once classroom dreamers, too. I ask you to see yourself in these student shoes. You were once classroom dreamers who had ambitions and curiosities too. And acting that. You are in that seat. You’re in that position for a reason. Do it with the spine. Do it with audacity. Do it with courage.”

“Again, I shouldn’t be here. I should be figuring out what the heck my professor said in class today. That’s what I should be figuring out. But that’s not the case.”

She concluded powerfully: “Education is a righteous desire. Why implement limitations, restrictions? These kids understand the value of education. So why not invest in that? Why not keep fighting for it?”

The Current Students: When Children Must Teach Adults About Justice

Perhaps the most heartbreaking testimony came from those who still depend on these programs—teenagers who shouldn’t have to fight for their right to educational access.

Francisco Quintana, a current Upward Bound student, explained: “For me, Upward Bound isn’t just a program. It’s a second chance for families who work hard and struggle, and Upward Bound makes it possible for them to attend college. And for many, it’s the reason we don’t give up. It’s a light that guides us and provides us with opportunities. But the light is now being dimmed.”

He addressed the dangerous myth of silence as strategy: “Some people think it’s better to stay quiet and that silence will make everything go away, but silence won’t save. Silence won’t protect those students who depend on these programs. Silence won’t bring back what’s been taken. We can’t afford to be quiet or to stand down. We need leaders who are willing to take a stand, who are willing to fight for their students, fight for Tucson, and fight for what’s right. Pima, please join the COE lawsuit.”

Xochitl Liñon, an Upward Bound alumna, shared her abuelita’s story—a grandmother who came to this country at 16 from Mexico after both parents died, speaking little English, working tirelessly cleaning homes for wealthy white families. Her grandmother received a letter from the Reagan administration granting her citizenship.

“By the grace of a letter, my abuelita and my father were able to come home, and I’m happy to say that she’s a citizen today,” Linat recalled. Her father later told her: “Mija, you have opportunities that I never dreamed of. Opportunities that your abuelita fought for. Do not squander it.”

“So I implore you, please do everything in your power to prevent the utter decimation of this program. A program that is the embodiment of the spirit of the American dream and who are any of us in this room to deny it.”

Jareth Lorame, who just graduated from TRiO Upward Bound and now attends UA, did their homework. “I researched. I looked up your names, and I learned a little bit about you and what you've done in the past up until this point. And a lot of it was helping minorities. It was helping teenagers. It was helping families. It was helping. And I feel like that is what TRiO Upward Bound does every year.”

They spoke to the isolation many first-generation students feel in college: “I don’t see my people at college. I don’t see my people around me. I don’t feel as welcome as I used to in high school. But I know that there’s chances out there for people to get to college to get to that level where they are comfortable around where they are.”

Then they issued a warning about history and legacy: “Whether you guys choose to [sue] the Department of Education or not, you guys are going to go down in history for helping us or standing against us.”

And then came Maria Teresa Alejandres, a sophomore at Sunnyside High School and current Upward Bound student. She hadn’t planned to speak, but watching her opportunities evaporate pushed her to the microphone.

“I know that for me personally, I am not a first-generation, but I would be the second person to go to college. And with TRiO Upward Bound being taken from us, I don’t know if that’s going to happen. I am a sophomore in high school, and honestly, I didn’t think I was going to make it that far in life, but with Upward Bound, I somehow did, thankfully.”

Overcome with emotion, she paused to collect herself. The room fell silent. “Upward Bound gave me opportunities that I didn’t think I would have. They have helped in tough times at home, school, and anything. And I didn’t think I was going to get out of it. I didn’t think I was going to get out of the problems that I did get out of. And Carlos was there for me, thankfully. Carlos, Danny, Kim, and everyone were there. The people in the Upward Bound TRiO are amazing. There are people I am forever grateful for.”

“I know that with these programs being taken away, I don’t know if I’ll even make it to college. My parents did not have a high school diploma, a college education. They don’t have a lot. And I know that they came here to give me those opportunities that they didn’t have, but those opportunities are also being taken. So where do I go now?”

Fighting back tears, she continued: “I know that you might not care what I have to say, and I don’t honestly blame you. I don’t expect you to care what I have to say, what I’ve gone through. It doesn’t matter. But I know that some people have children in this room, and we want the best for those children. But if you do want the best for those children, why take the opportunities away? We say that the kids are our future, but what is the future with the programs being taken? There’s not a lot, I know.”

Chair Greg Taylor responded with compassion: “Thank you for your courage for coming up there. And I do promise we all care deeply about what you have to say. So thank you for sharing that.”

But do they? Will promises translate to action? That remains the million-dollar question.

The Educators: Those Who See the Transformation Daily

Miriam Romero, Arizona’s 2018 ELD Teacher of the Year, spoke from the perspective of an elementary educator who writes recommendations for her students to enter TRiO programs. “I have not taught Upward Bound students. I have never taught in high school, only at the elementary level. But I have written many, many recommendations from my own students to enter TRiO programs. And one of the reasons I’m always happy to do that is because I see the difference it makes in my students’ lives.”

She didn’t mince words about what acquiescence would mean: “To allow programs like those in TRiO to be pushed out of Tucson shows a weak leadership and great short-sightedness. Yes, you may appease the current federal administration, but you do so at the cost of your most promising youth who look to you for guidance and protection.”

She framed the issue economically: “Helping promising low-income youths go to college does indeed have an upfront cost, the cost of such programs as Upward Bound. But this is pennies on the dollar compared to what we would pay in subsidiary programs when these same young people are not supported and fall victim to the trials and the hardships they are trying their very best to overcome by getting a college education.”

“To allow the cancellation of these programs without putting up a fight is to let yourself and your own children down.”

Makyla Hays, PCCEA president, math faculty member, and AERC co-chair, approached her comments through the lens of storytelling and history. She recalled beloved childhood stories—Robin Hood, The Hunger Games, Harry Potter, Star Wars, Les Misérables.

“But what do all of these things have in common? They all showcase an unlikely hero standing up in the face of a powerful bully. They all detail a fight worth fighting and a cause worth risking it all for.”

Hays recalled wondering as a child, hearing stories of the Holocaust and Anne Frank, or learning that her beloved kindergarten teacher had been arrested for marching in civil rights protests:

“What would I have done? Would I be strong enough to stand up for something in such a way? Unfortunately, I feel like we may start to find out.”

The federal government came for Columbia University—they caved. Then Harvard—they caved too. Now nine more universities have received letters demanding capitulation, including the University of Arizona.

“This administration has attacked public education funding, their rules, their admission requirements, and the content they can teach. They’ve cut funding to our programs like TRiO and Strive Online. Where will it end?”

Recalling another childhood book, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, Hayes concluded:

“I challenge us all to stand. Don’t capitulate. The attacks are going to continue. This is the time to find out which characters we will align with in today’s stories that are still being written.”

The Coordinator: Receipts, History, and a Line in the Sand

Carlos Romero, long-time TRiO Upward Bound coordinator at Desert Vista, came with receipts. His program has produced two Gates Scholars, 12 Dell Scholars, two QuestBridge Scholars, one Flynn Scholar, and seven Doran Scholars. Students are attending 28 different colleges across the country. Partnership with NASA’s Education Downlinks program—one of only six programs in the country—where students asked questions of astronaut Jeanette Epps live from the International Space Station.

“You praised us in the good times, now you must defend us in the bad,” Romero stated, reminding the board that Chancellor Nasse praised the program at All College Day during his first week on the job.

He reminded the board of precedent—in 2017, Pima joined a lawsuit supporting DACA students. But he also recalled a cautionary tale:

“13 years ago, TUSD was attacked by the state and forced to destroy its MAS program that closed the achievement gap better than any program in that district’s history. The Tucson community asked the TUSD board to sue the state. They refused. So the students and teachers in the program had to sue on their own. Five years later, they won the case when the Federal Circuit Court ruled that the state law ending the program was unconstitutional due to racial animus. But the damage was done, the program was long gone, and has still never been reinstated into TUSD.”

Romero broke down the absurdity of the cancellation justification. The Department of Education claimed his program’s proposal included community partners conducting racial justice workshops—”except those words are not in our proposal. PIMA’s DEI plan is not in our proposal.”

He wondered aloud, sarcastically, what might have triggered the cancellation:

“Maybe it’s when we have workshops on public speaking. Maybe it’s when we do hiking field trips in Sabino Canyon. Maybe it’s when we plant trees in South Tucson neighborhoods. Or maybe it’s when we tour the African American History Museum of Southern Arizona. But I think I have it. It was when we served Sonoran hot dogs at one of our senior graduation ceremonies. I think that’s what really got the feds.”

“It’s really about denying brown and black kids access to higher education. That’s what it’s about. They don’t want to say that in their letter, but that’s what it’s about.”

Quoting Voltaire, Romero warned: “Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. The reasons for canceling are the absurdities and the dismantling of the program is the atrocity.”

He addressed each board member by name—Dr. Jeff Nasse, Greg Taylor, Karla Bernal Morales, Dr. Nicole Barraza, Teresa Riel, and Kristen Ann Randall—with a direct message:

“You need to understand that Pima College is already being targeted. Tucson is being targeted. Standing quietly will not bring our grant money back. Fascists cannot be appeased. You must fight back. You can’t win the fight until you step into the ring. So we’re asking you to challenge them in court. Tucson will stand behind you. Do the right thing. Join the COE lawsuit and sue these fascist bastards.”

The room erupted in sustained applause. Because sometimes, calling fascism by its name is exactly what’s needed.

The Former Faculty Member: Ancestral Legacy and Present Duty

Remember our Yaqui Ancestors! - Video of Speech to Pima CC Board

David Morales, a Marana native who worked in cotton fields alongside migrant families as a teenager, took his first Pima class at age 16. The dozens of credits he earned at PCC were crucial for graduating from UA and continuing to doctoral studies in applied mathematics. He once sat in board meetings as a faculty senate liaison.

“That journey is the promise Pima Community College makes to our community. A promise you must now defend. Tonight I speak not just as an educator but as a witness. The same civil rights crisis we see on our streets when masked agents take women and children has now reached our school through policy.”

He provided context: “TRiO alone serves over 1,500 Pima students per year, launching them into further education at rates that dwarf the county averages. Without these programs, that ladder is gone. Nationally, TRiO doubles the graduation rates for first-generation college students.”

As a former math teacher at Desert Vista, Morales volunteered to tutor calculus students from Sunnyside and Desert View high schools using Upward Bound offices after school. “I loved seeing the Desert Vista campus filled with such a diversity of students during the summer. First-generation white students, students from Africa, and Mexican American students, all spending their time in the classroom and off the streets and away from trouble. This is what we are losing.”

He framed it clearly: “Let’s not pretend this is about budgets and paperwork. These are ideological attacks, not policy tweaks. The Department of Education is making unsubstantiated claims of civil rights violations to destroy programs rooted in equity and opportunity. Silence will not shield us. It will only embolden the aggressors. History warns us that cowardice allows injustice to spread.”

The meeting began with a land acknowledgment of the Tohono O’odham and Pascua Yaqui peoples. Morales invoked that acknowledgment:

“We must do more than just say words. We must honor their spirit. We must remember our Yaqui ancestors, who, when the enemy came, drew a line in the sand and said, ‘This far, no further.’

They chose to fight for their people. That line in the sand is a legacy of this land. Tonight you inherit that legacy and you face that same choice. Let this be our line in the sand. Join the COE lawsuit. Stand with your students and fight for their future. The time to be courageous for them is now.”

The Larger Context: A Coordinated Attack on Equity

This coordinated assault on educational access isn’t happening in isolation. According to CNN Politics, the Department of Justice refused to defend HSI grants in a lawsuit filed by Tennessee and Students for Fair Admissions—the same organization that successfully attacked affirmative action.

EdSource reports that California alone has 167 Hispanic-Serving Institutions that have received over $600 million since 1995. Education Secretary Linda McMahon called these grants unconstitutional, claiming they “discriminate by restricting eligibility to institutions that meet government-mandated racial quotas.”

Here’s what McMahon conveniently ignores: HSIs serve all students. The 25% Latino enrollment threshold determines institutional eligibility for competitive grants—grants that improve facilities, expand advising, modernize labs, and strengthen support services for everyone on campus, regardless of race.

The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) filed a motion to intervene as defendant, with legal support from LatinoJustice PRLDEF. As HACU Interim CEO David Mendez stated, “This is not just a budget cut, it is an attack on equity in higher education. The funds granted to HSIs have never supported only Latino students. These funds strengthen entire campuses, creating opportunities and resources that benefit all students.”

Meanwhile, The Washington Free Beacon gleefully reported the administration’s move, framing equity programs as “race-based” while the administration simultaneously increased funding for HBCUs and tribal colleges.

¿Divide y vencerás? Classic playbook—pit marginalized communities against each other rather than adequately funding all who serve underrepresented populations.

What The Research Actually Shows—Facts Still Matter

Despite the administration’s claims that these programs lack effectiveness, the evidence overwhelmingly demonstrates their success. According to NEA reports:

Upward Bound participants are 47% more likely to complete a degree than similar students without the program
84% of Upward Bound graduates enrolled in postsecondary education immediately after high school (2017-2018 data)
TRiO nationally doubles graduation rates for first-generation college students

A 2021 Valdosta State University study showed that rural African American female high school students in Upward Bound developed strong relationships with the program, gaining new skills through workshops and SAT/ACT preparation.

But facts don’t matter when ideology drives policy. And make no mistake—this is pure ideology masquerading as fiscal responsibility.

The State Funding Context: A College Already on Life Support

Chair Greg Taylor reminded everyone of the critical context that makes these federal cuts even more devastating: Pima Community College receives virtually no state funding.

Since 2009, when per-student allocations from the state legislature ended, PCC has received some one-time allocations—but if you calculate what the college should have received and give credit for those one-time payments, Pima is short $209 million since 2009.

Arizona’s rural community colleges receive state funding. Maricopa Community Colleges receive state funding. Pima? Nada. Zilch. Nothing.

This makes federal grant losses catastrophic. Without state support, without stable federal funding, how exactly is PCC supposed to serve the community’s most vulnerable students?

The answer, apparently, is thoughts, prayers, and really good Instagram reels. (The social media peer mentors featured earlier in the meeting are genuinely fantastic at connecting with Gen Z students, but they can’t replace millions in essential program funding.)

The Silence That Speaks Volumes

Throughout this emotional public comment period—15 speakers, multiple hours, stories of transformation and desperation, tears and standing ovations—the Governing Board listened. They thanked the speakers. They promised to consider the testimony carefully.

What they didn’t do: commit to joining the lawsuits. No emergency motion. No resolution of support. No vote to authorize legal action. Just... listening.

And therein lies the rub. Every single speaker essentially begged the same thing: join the Council for Opportunity in Education lawsuit. Join HACU’s defense of HSI grants. Show courage. Draw a line in the sand. Fight back.

As of this writing, there has been no public announcement regarding the board's involvement in either lawsuit.

The ghost of TUSD’s Mexican American Studies program hangs over this silence—a cautionary tale of what happens when boards fail to fight. When students and teachers had to file their own lawsuit. When they won five years later, but the program was never reinstated because the damage had already been done.

History doesn’t repeat itself, but it sure as hell rhymes.

Hope Isn’t Lost—But It Requires Immediate Action

Despite the board’s inaction so far, there’s reason for hope.

Both the Council for Opportunity in Education and HACU have filed federal lawsuits. TRiO programs have historically enjoyed bipartisan support—senators like Susan Collins (R-ME) and representatives from both parties have questioned these cuts.

Local elected officials—Representatives Nancy Gutierrez, Betty Villegas, and Oscar de los Santos—visited PCC’s campus and saw firsthand the accomplishments of these programs. Arizona’s congressional delegation continues advocating, despite the denials.

Students and alumni are organizing. The October 8th testimony wasn’t a one-time event—it was the opening salvo of sustained community pressure.

The question isn’t whether this fight is winnable. The question is whether those with institutional power will join the fight.

¡Levántate! Your Voice, Your Action, Your Moment

The speakers at the October 8th meeting didn’t just share stories—they issued a call to action that echoes through every word of their testimony. Here’s how YOU answer that call:

1. Contact PCC’s Governing Board—Be Specific and Persistent

Email: pcc-boardstaff@pima.edu

Sample message: “I am writing to urge the Governing Board to join the Council for Opportunity in Education lawsuit challenging the Department of Education’s unlawful termination of TRiO grants, and to support HACU’s legal intervention defending Hispanic Serving Institution grants. The October 8th testimony made clear: our community demands you fight for our students. Silence is not neutrality—it’s complicity. Join the lawsuits. Defend our students. Do it now.”

2. Call Your Congressional Representatives—They Need to Hear Your Voice

Senator Mark Kelly: (520) 405-8000
Senator Ruben Gallego: (202) 224-4521
Representative Juan Ciscomani: (520) 881-3588

What to say: “I’m calling to demand full restoration of TRiO and HSI funding. These programs work—47% higher degree completion rates for participants. TRiO doubles graduation rates for first-generation students. The Department of Education’s cancellations are ideological attacks on educational equity, not legitimate policy. Restore the funding immediately.”

3. Show Up to the Next Board Meeting—Your Physical Presence Matters

When: November 12, 2025, 5:30 PM
Where: District Office, Community/Board Room C-105, 4905 E. Broadway Blvd., Tucson

Fill out a public comment card when you arrive. Bring your story. Bring your community. As Hakima Abdul-Kadir said: “I shouldn’t be here. I should be figuring out what the heck my professor said in the class today.” But she showed up anyway. So can you.

4. Make Social Media Unmissable—Flood the Zone

Use these hashtags: #SaveTRiO #DefendHSIs #EducationIsARight

Tag these accounts:

@PimaCCollege
@SenMarkKelly
@SenRubenGallego
@RepCiscomani
@GovKatieHobbs

Share student testimonies. Quote the speakers. Make it impossible for anyone with a social media account to miss what’s happening. The peer mentors taught us—social media is where Gen Z lives. Let’s meet them there with a message of resistance.

5. Support Organizations Fighting in Court

These organizations are doing the legal heavy lifting:

Council for Opportunity in Education: coenet.org — Leading the TRiO lawsuit
Hispanic Association of Colleges & Universities: hacu.net — Defending HSI grants
LatinoJustice PRLDEF: latinojustice.org — Providing legal support for HACU

Consider donations, volunteering, sharing their updates, amplifying their work.

6. Support Three Sonorans—Keep This Coverage Coming

Mainstream media isn’t centering these student voices. We are. But investigative journalism requires resources. Subscribe to Three Sonorans Substack to keep this critical coverage alive, support independent Chicano journalism, and ensure stories like Maria Teresa Alejandres crying at a board meeting don’t disappear into the void.

Get 7 day free trial

Paid subscriptions directly fund our ability to attend these meetings, interview affected students, do the research, and tell the stories others won’t tell.

The Line in the Sand

Dr. Sarah Hannah Gomez left us with a stark reminder: “Bullies never just go, oh thanks, we will never bother you again after they come for one thing.”

They came for TRiO. They came for HSI grants. They’re coming for adult education funding. They’ll come for dual enrollment next. Then, financial aid. Then whatever’s left helps students who don’t come from wealth and privilege.

The question isn’t whether there will be more attacks on educational equity. The question is whether we’ll be ready to fight back when they come.

David Morales invoked the Yaqui ancestors: “They drew a line in the sand and said, This far, no further. They chose to fight for their people. That line in the sand is a legacy of this land. Tonight, you inherit that legacy and you face that same choice.”

Carlos Romero put it even more bluntly: “You can’t win the fight until you step into the ring.”

Hakima Abdul-Kadir reminded us of our power: “Do it with the spine. Do it with audacity. Do it with courage.”

And Maria Teresa Alejandres, a 15-year-old sophomore, asked the question that should haunt every board member, every elected official, every person with institutional power: “Where do I go now?”

That question demands an answer. Not in words. In action.

¿Qué vamos a hacer? What are we going to do?

The students have spoken. The alumni have testified. The educators have shown the evidence. The community has made its demands crystal clear.

Now it’s time for those with power to decide: Will you be the adults who stood up when fascism came for nuestros hijos? Or will you be footnotes in a cautionary tale about what happens when good people do nothing?

History is watching. The students are watching. And Tucson—nuestra comunidad—is watching.

Join the lawsuits. Fight back. Draw the line.

La lucha sigue. The struggle continues. And it will continue until every student—regardless of income, immigration status, or family educational history—has the chance to pursue their dreams without having to beg for basic access to opportunity.

💬 What Do You Think?

The comments section is open. The board needs to hear from you. The community needs to organize. Let’s make this space a forum for action, not just reaction.

Leave your thoughts below:

Question 1: Should Pima Community College’s Governing Board join the Council for Opportunity in Education lawsuit challenging the Department of Education’s termination of TRiO grants and support HACU’s legal intervention defending HSI grants? What specific actions would you take if you were a board member?

Question 2: Maria Teresa Alejandres asked “Where do I go now?” as a sophomore whose college pathway is disappearing. What concrete, actionable steps can community members take right now—this week—to support students like her who are directly impacted by these funding cuts?

Question 3: Carlos Romero invoked the cautionary tale of TUSD’s Mexican American Studies program—when the board didn’t fight, students and teachers had to sue alone, and even when they won five years later, the program was never reinstated. How do we prevent that same tragedy from repeating with TRiO Upward Bound?