Recent detainments and deportations of students and faculty on college campuses nationwide have raised concerns about the safety of college campuses for those without legal status. On March 17, Badar Khan Suri, an Indian national and postdoctoral fellow studying at Georgetown University on a student visa, was detained by federal immigration authorities. His arrest comes amidst the Trump Administration’s crackdown on pro-Palestinian activists on college campuses.
To address student questions and concerns regarding ongoing immigration policies, Constructive and Sustained Dialogue will host “Knowledge is Power: Immigration Rules, Rights, and Care for the Vulnerable” on March 24 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. in the Brian Doyle Auditorium.
According to Anne Santiago, the Dundon-Berchtold faculty fellow for constructive dialogue and a professor of political science and global affairs, the event was planned in response to a recent surge in student conversations on immigration policies.
“We know there's a lot of uncertainty around the Trump administration's immigration policies,” Santiago said. “So we wanted to be able to provide students with both resources and sort of reassurances about how the campus community will support them.”
Interim Director of Student Wellness Erin Currie, Director of Campus Safety Michael McNerny, Co-Director of the Garaventa Center Peter Walsh and Associate Professor of History Blair Woodard will engage in a panel-style discussion followed by a Q&A.
Panel members will speak on topics such as mental health, the Catholic Church’s stance on immigration, the history of the U.S.-Mexico border and the role of Campus Safety if U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) were to arrive on UP’s campus.
Currently, the University’s protocol for ICE activity on campus calls for Campus Safety officers to directly engage with immigration officers instead of students. According to McNerny, to ensure the safety of students, anyone asking questions during the panel will be granted anonymity. Campus safety will not report questions regarding immigration or immigration status to ICE.
“Campus Safety is still about the safety and security of our students, so there's no circumstance in which we are going to be looking for opportunities to aid the federal government in prosecuting members of our community unless there's a very compelling reason,” McNerny said.
For Santiago, the panel is meant to provide a safe space for students to not only seek answers on policies but also to access potential resources to help themselves or their loved ones who may be afraid of potential deportation threats.
“I want [students] to feel like, if they want more information, if they want to express concerns, that they should be able to do that comfortably,” Santiago said. “And then maybe we can provide something that helps them get the information they need.”
Tiffany Marquez Escobar is the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Editor for The Beacon. She can be reached at marqueze25@up.edu.
