Sanctuary campus

Sanctuary campus is a designation for a college or university in the United States that adopts policies to protect students who are undocumented immigrants. The term is modeled after "sanctuary city," a status that has been adopted by over 30 municipalities. Proposed policies on sanctuary campuses include:

• Not allowing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers onto campus without a warrant.^[1]
• The refusal of campus police to enforce immigration law.^[1]
• Not sharing student immigration status with ICE.^[1]
• Not gathering information on immigration or citizenship status.^[2]
• Providing tuition support, including in-state tuition rates at public universities to students with DACA status.^[2]
• Providing distance-learning options for departed students to complete their degrees.^[2]
• Providing confidential legal support to students with immigration law questions and issues.^[2]

The American Association of University Professors endorsed the sanctuary campus movement on November 22, 2016, and urged colleges and universities to adopt sanctuary policies.^[3]

Protests and campaigns

Protest at Rutgers University - New Brunswick on November 16, 2016.

In November 2016, students around the country staged demonstrations, walk-outs, and sit-ins in an effort to push their schools to declare themselves a "sanctuary campus" from President-elect Donald Trump's planned immigration policy of mass deportations.^[4] The Stanford, Rutgers, and St. Mary's protests on November 15, 2016 were among the first.^[5] Universities and colleges with protest activity in support of sanctuary campuses include:

• Connecticut College^[6]
• Dartmouth College^[7]
• Hobart and William Smith Colleges
• Middlebury College^[8]
• Rutgers University^[5]
• St. Mary's College^[5]
• Stanford University^[5]
• Texas State University^[9]
• Trinity College^[6]
• Tufts University^[8]
• University of Massachusetts Amherst^[2]
• University of Pennsylvania
• University of New Mexico
• Vanderbilt University^[10]
• Yale University^[8]
• Mills College
• University of North Texas^[11]
• Texas Womans University^[11]

School policies

Rutgers president Robert Barchi responded that the school will protect the privacy of its undocumented immigrants.^[12] California State University chancellor Timothy P. White made a similar affirmation.^[13] Iowa State University reaffirmed continuation of their already existing policy.^[14] University of Massachusetts Amherst chancellor Kumble R. Subbaswamy affirmed that “I and my administration are fully committed, as we always have been, to ensuring a safe and welcoming environment for every member of our community, regardless of immigration status,” and outlined a list of existing policies supporting that goal.

Portland State University and Reed College presidents were the first institutions in the country to officially declare their campuses as sanctuaries.^[15][16]

References