Whereas President-elect Donald Trump has pledged to deport three million undocumented immigrants upfront, be it resolved that Cal State Fullerton ain't having none of it! The Academic Senate unanimously passed twin resolutions yesterday pledging support for its students sin papeles. While not declaring CSUF to be a “sanctuary campus,” they do push the college to adopt policies protecting sensitive student information and ensuring noncooperation from staff in assisting any deportations.
Cal State Fullerton's overall enrollment checked in last Fall at around 39,000 students, nearly 40 percent of whom were Latino. The college graduates more Latinos than any other campus in the state, good enough to place fifth nationwide in that distinction. While the Cal State system doesn't track the immigration status of students, thousands of undocumented AB 540 students qualify for in-state tuition.
The resolutions follow CSU Chancellor Timothy White's open letter to students and staff last month stating that the system wouldn't enter with any agreements with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and that University Police would ignore ICE detainer requests. While affirming a commitment to make the Cal State system a “safe and welcoming” space, Chancellor White noted each campus had the flexibility to adopt policies reflecting their own “unique climate.”
In addition to a resolution supporting undocumented students, CSUF's Academic Senate also reaffirmed its commitment to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program that Trump has promised to eviscerate. The resolution deems DACA a “moral imperative and national necessity” while calling for its expansion.
Trump told TIME magazine this week that he still hasn't figured out what his administration wants to do with undocumented immigrants who crossed la linea as children. “We're going to work something out that's going to make people happy and proud,” the President-elect said in typical Trump-talk.
Taking no assurances from the Pepe-in-Chief, CSUF's Academic Senate passed the two resolutions supporting undocumented students, even in the face of threatened federal funding cuts to states and and publicly-funded colleges that adopt sanctuary-style policies.
Besides, the only anxiety any students should feel on campus is during finals week. Ain't that right, Titans?
Gabriel San Román is from Anacrime. He’s a journalist, subversive historian and the tallest Mexican in OC. He also once stood falsely accused of writing articles on Turkish politics in exchange for free food from DönerG’s!