Amanda Machado is a writer and contributing editor at Matador Network focusing on social justice, travel, and education. The views and opinions expressed in this article are hers and do not necessarily reflect the official position of Matador Network.
After the results of the U.S. election, universities like University of Wisconsin-Madison, the University of California, Yale, Pomona College, (my proud alma mater) Brown University, andmore have all created petitions to become a “sanctuary campus” for undocumented students. Professor Elliot Young wrote a piece in the Huffington Post explaining how the concept of a “sanctuary campus” derived from the at least 33 U.S. cities that have already proclaimed themselves sanctuary cities for immigrants. Though every university petition is unique, all the petitions call for universities to take a strong stance when protecting the rights of undocumented students. Brown University’s petition mentioned “U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers are subject to certain restrictions upon entering college campuses unauthorized. This puts the University in a unique position, which it can and should use to protect undocumented community members from law enforcement. It is the duty of this University to ensure that it remains a place that actively protects the rights and safety of its community.”
Check with your university to see if a petition has already been started, or start one yourself based on the examples above.