Rising Star Awardee
Carimer Andujar
President
UndocuRutgers
Carimer Andujar is an immigrant rights activist, founder of UndocuRutgers and a fourth
year student at Rutgers’ School of Engineering. Carimer’s activism began at the end of her
sophomore year when she decided to found UndocuRutgers: Rutgers’ first student organization
that seeks to tackle the problems faced by undocumented students in higher education.
She was motivated to found UndocuRutgers because of the challenges she faced as an
undocumented student. These challenges came to a head when her mother’s battle against
cancer almost made Carimer give up her dreams of graduating.
Through her last years at college, Carimer has created a platform for herself in which she is
able to advocate for the rights of undocumented citizens as well as empower undocumented
students to achieve their dreams. Her activism is rooted in the notion that all people have
unalienable rights that include the right to education. Beyond immigrant rights, Carimer also
has a fervent passion for racial equality. She strives to make the work she does intersectional
and inclusive to everyone.
Carimer’s story was catapulted into center stage last spring as she faced deportation. The delay
in the renewal of her DACA and a letter from ICE (Immigration Customs and Enforcement) put
her stance in the country in complete uncertainty. Carimer garnered support from Senators,
Congressmen, and elected officials. On the day of her ICE interview, she showed up with
hundreds of supporters thanks to help from Rutgers University faculty union. Today Carimer is
still home in America and has continued with her studies.
Post graduation Carimer wishes to continue her education and obtain a master’s degree. She
hopes to one day be able to couple the engineering and leadership skills she has acquired
to help better the state of undocumented people in the country. She hopes to find where her
passion for engineering and her passion for advocacy converge.