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Campus officials should have ‘a clear plan in place’ in case ‘an ICE officer shows up,’ policy director says 

Universities should establish immigration task forces, update campus protocols, and prepare staff and students for potential ICE encounters following President Donald Trump’s recent executive orders, an alliance of university leaders said during a recent policy briefing.

Presidents’ Alliance Executive Director Miriam Feldblum urged attendees to form “immigration working groups” to address “communication guidance” and “support non-citizen students.”

“[I]ndividuals from campus safety, legal counsel, international students, the faculty, student affairs, mental health, housing, all different components of a campus really can be involved” in the task forces, Feldblum said.

“It’s important now to determine when, how, and what you’ll communicate, especially with directly impacted populations, potentially impacted populations, but also across campus,” she said.

The briefing was held in response to President Donald Trump’s recent “executive orders and other Administrative actions, including the rescission of the ‘sensitive locations’ policy, suspension of refugee admissions, [and] enhanced screening and vetting for visa applicants,” according to the webinar’s Zoom description.

Diego Sánchez, director of policy and strategy, said one of the “main issues” with Trump’s new immigration policy is the “rescission of the sensitive location policy.”

Cornell Law Professor Jaclyn Kelley-Widmer said the rescinded policy had restricted immigration enforcement at schools, churches, and hospitals. The reversal of this policy opens the possibility for ICE to conduct enforcement efforts on campuses, she said.

Now, “agencies are supposed to use common sense in deciding whether or not to go into these sensitive spaces, and so that’s a pretty big shift from prior administrations,” Kelley-Widmer said.

“So they can enter campuses and make arrests. Federal agents can go into any space that is a public space without having a warrant or other kinds of permission,” she said.

Additionally, Director of State Policy Monica Andrade said campus officials should have “a clear plan in place” in case “an ICE officer shows up.”

“[T]his could include having a designated point of contact, whether that’s campus security or the Office of the General Counsel or another responsible department really is going to handle these requests,” Andrade said.

MORE: Higher ed group worries about Trump’s immigration plans

“Frontline staff, faculty, and students should not be put in a position where they have to determine whether ICE has the legal authority to enter,” she said. “Instead, they should be trained to follow a protocol, then direct the officer to the designated point of contact, and then notify the appropriate person immediately.”

She also suggested that universities “provide staff with the script so that they know exactly what to say in those situations.”

If ICE agents do show up on campus, they may show a warrant, but it might only be an administrative warrant, which does not require compliance. A judicial warrant, however, is issued by a court and must be followed, Kelley-Widmer said.

Sánchez asked Kelley-Widmer if students could “refuse to allow ICE into their private residences including dorm rooms, resident halls, and off-campus housing…”

“Absolutely,” Kelley-Widmer said. However, in such situations, students should be given prepared responses, she said.

To conclude the briefing, Feldblum presented the results of a poll that was taken at the beginning of the meeting, which surveyed the actions universities have taken in response to President Trump’s immigration orders.

Of the 384 respondents, 57% said their campuses have either updated guidance or issued a statement.

Meanwhile, less than half of respondents said they have an immigration working group. “So there are actions that individuals can take now,” Feldblum said in response to the findings.

“Please also focus on your non-citizen employees who may also be directly or non-directly impacted,” she said.

In response to questions about the higher education group’s recommendations, a President’s Alliance spokesperson referred The Fix to an FAQ document and news release from the organization.

The news release states that the Alliance has “grave concerns about the adverse impacts” of President Trump’s immigration policies.

“These measures risk wasting the potential of talented students and undermining the strength of campuses and higher ed institutions,” it states.

Further, the FAQ document states that “institutions should share policies, protocols … on responding to federal immigration enforcement on campus.”

“To protect sensitive information, campuses may consider limiting access to these materials (e.g., password-protected access) so that they are available only to campus community members,” the document states.

In line with the Presidents’ Alliance recommendations, Stanford University’s undergraduate senate voted to “support and increase” resources for illegal immigrant students, The College Fix previously reported..

However, the Trump administration has indicated that its priority is to deport violent criminals.

“…the primary focus of any deportation plan is not going to be on immigrant students, it is going to be on aliens who pose a national security risk,” Art Arthur, a former immigration judge, previously told The Fix. 

MORE: Universities benefit from illegal immigration – here’s how

IMAGE: Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration

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