With the rise of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer interactions around the Central Valley, Fresno State provides resources for undocumented students and their families, as well as a guide on what to do if an officer comes on campus.
According to the California Department of Social Services (CDSS), California has led the nation in accepting undocumented youth for over 20 years, with nearly 10,000 undocumented students attending California State Universities (CSUs).
Isaiah Wiggins, a communications major at Fresno State, said he would feel uncomfortable and scared for others if an ICE officer came onto campus. With many people and families being displaced, he hopes that Fresno State would have precautions in place to prevent that from happening while on its campus.
“With the climate and things that have been going on recently, it makes for a lot of stress and uneasiness for many people in general, but especially those who are closer to the situation and to those who are being displaced,” Wiggins said.
Roberto Sanchez, an English major at Fresno State, said it would be upsetting to see an ICE officer on campus. He believes Fresno State should be a safe place for every student, and he hopes that the college would disallow ICE agents on campus in general.
“I’d feel disheartened to see a place that I associate with growth, learning and positive change to be occupied by an organization that functions to forcefully remove people from their homes and communities,” Sanchez said.
Sanchez mentioned that he especially feels this way because of the recent Supreme Court ruling allowing racial profiling.
Phong Yang, the interim vice president of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management, strongly encourages students, staff and their families to obtain a better understanding of what to do if encountered by an ICE officer.
What to do if approached by an ICE officer on campus
Yang said that the first step when encountering an ICE officer is to ask for the officer’s name and badge number, their reason for being on campus and any documentation that authorizes school access. He also said to take photographs of the documentation they provide.
Next, ask the officer “whether they declare that exigent (urgent) circumstances exist, they have a federal judicial warrant (warrant signed by a judge) and if they have an ICE administrative warrant, subpoena, or any other documentation,” according to the Fresno State student affairs website.
The third step is to document notes following the incident and immediately follow up with Dean Terree Stevenson, the primary campus point of contact for ICE activities, at 559.278.6561 or send an email to share notes and any photos of documents obtained. If Stevenson is not available, Yang said to contact Diana Rea-Flores, the coordinator for the Dream Success Center at 559.278.1554.
Yang said that Rea-Flores will refer students who need immigration services to the right point of contact and then will reach out to other resources beyond that.
However, if an ICE officer does not or will not provide documentation upon request, Fresno State instructs people to document their actions while on campus with video, photos and notes.
The Fresno State student affairs website said that, “While you should not consent to access by an immigration enforcement officer unless he/she declares exigent circumstances or has a federal judicial warrant, do not attempt to physically impede an officer, even if he/she appears to lack authorization to enter.”
Yang encourages students to visit the Student Affairs and Enrollment Management website for a more detailed step-by-step process on interacting with an ICE officer.
According to Yang, Fresno State has not had an encounter with ICE officers coming onto campus.
Resources for undocumented students, staff and their families
The CSUs provide free immigration legal services to current CSU students, staff, faculty, their immediate family and recent alumni members.
CSUs also has an immigration relief program, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS), for individuals under 21 “who have been abused, abandoned, or neglected by a parent, allowing them to apply for lawful permanent resident status (green card),” according to the Immigrant Legal Defense website.
SIJS helps to provide a path to safety, access to services including health care and potential permanent residency.
Students can reach out to Yang if they don’t feel comfortable being on campus and want to take online classes. He will work with Bernadette Muscat, dean of undergraduate studies and interim dean of the library, and Elizabeth Lowham, dean of social sciences, if they are graduate students, to help enroll the student in the online courses.
“Beyond that, if they need financial assistance, then we work with financial aid and scholarships directly,” Yang said. “If they need mental support, we work directly with Dr. Etisha Wilbon in the counseling health center.”
Know your rights
Fresno State has red cards available around campus and online to print, which have information on protections and examples of how people can exercise their rights. Students can find these cards in each department of student affairs, the library, the Resnick Student Union Welcome Center and the Dream Success Center, which are available in English and Spanish.
Yang explains the importance of everyone having a red card with them in case a friend needs assistance. He tells his staff that each of them should carry one in their wallet in case they come across a situation where a student needs help.
“When I talk to students, I always hand out the red card with my business card because I feel that right now it’s a time where students should have that resource,” Yang said. “It tells the student exactly what to say and what not to say.”
How Fresno State shows support for undocumented students
Yang explained that there is a team of individuals who have put these resources together. He said their communications team did a wonderful job developing a comprehensive website explaining all of these resources.
Fresno State relaunched “a centralized immigration resources website designed to support our entire campus community – students, faculty and staff,” according to an email campus communications sent out to students, faculty and staff.
“We have teams of individuals who meet on a monthly basis to really address what’s happening, you know, out there in our community, how it can impact us and start making some proactive decisions on addressing these situations for our students,” Yang said.
Regardless of what ICE deems appropriate to question a student, Sanchez hopes Fresno State would have its students’ backs, regardless of their ethnicity or origin.
In order to do that, Sanchez suggests that Fresno State disallow ICE raids and agents from entering campus and Fresno State-related events, and help students understand their rights.
Yang mentions they offer special training that is aimed at helping people become aware of the services available. They will continue to do so throughout the year with the goal of keeping the community informed.
Yang believes that Fresno State is well-equipped to address these situations with students by sharing information and advocating for them.
“But really, our goal is to make sure that our students feel safe here,” Yang said. “That’s what all these efforts are leading into.”
