Planned visits by border patrol agents for some upcoming career fair events at Cal State San Marcos prompted the university’s Vice President of Student Affairs to send a campuswide email warning students the agents would be on campus and telling them to call the campus cops if they are asked for their “documentation.”
The March 28 email went on to list the many resources students could avail themselves of if the visits are traumatizing to them. It concluded by seemingly encouraging students to protest the agents’ presence.
The email from Dr. Lorena Checa states in part:
In keeping with CSUSM’s commitment to provide advanced notice to the campus community, there are two dates on which U.S. Customs and Border Patrol and/or other law enforcement agencies will be on campus.
On Thursday, March 30, a student organization has invited U.S. Customs and Border Patrol to attend a meeting to share career information.
On Thursday, April 6 the Career Center will host its spring Career Fair in the University Student Union from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, along with a number of other law enforcement agencies, will attend.
As was shared earlier this semester, if for any reason a student or member of our faculty or staff are stopped on campus by any official asking for information or documentation, immediately contact our University Police Department at 760-750-4567 or 911 from any campus phone. The University Police Department will act as a liaison with the on-site officials, and will coordinate with the CSU Office of General Counsel to provide guidance, references and resources as available.
The email goes on to list several resources, including: the Student Health and Counseling Services “for supportive, confidential counseling”; Social justice centers, including The Cross-Cultural Center and The Latin@ Center, “for supportive environments to discuss and engage with others”; SOAR (Student Outreach and Referral) for referral to on- and off-campus resources for students; and the Office of University Ombuds.
Then the email almost seems to invite students to protest the officers’ presence, as students did last year during the 2016 spring job fair.
“CSUSM will provide the broadest possible latitude in exercising free speech and expression, even when controversial,” Checa’s email states. “Individuals exercising their right to free speech protest should follow CSUSM’s policies and regulations Free Expression at CSUSM.”
Several student groups took part in last year’s Cal State San Marcos demonstration against border patrol agents, with organizers suggesting officers’ presence invaded their “safe space.”
“Cal State San Marcos argues that it’s an inclusive university, yet they bring [a group] that causes fear in the undocumented community,” Julio Villa Chavez, an undocumented CSUSM student and STAND President, told the Cougar Chronicle campus newspaper at the time. “They separate our families [and] it also affects our learning climate … when we see Border Patrol in what we thought was our safe space.”
At other universities in recent years, students have also held raucous protests calling the agents unsafe and demanding they be booted from campus — when they are simply there for career fairs.
MORE: ‘F*ck your borders’ – Rowdy students protest border patrol agents at campus job fair
MORE: Students demand Border Patrol booted from campus career fair, call officers unsafe and offensive
Like The College Fix on Facebook / Follow us on Twitter
Please join the conversation about our stories on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Reddit, MeWe, Rumble, Gab, Minds and Gettr.