Wichita State’s Student Senate called for the university to take several actions in relation to the United States’ Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE). The Senate voted 18-3 to pass “Ice out ICE” on Wednesday night.
A.R. 67-013, “Ice out ICE,” is a resolution, which acts as a formal opinion of the Student Government Association (SGA) but does not have the power to require any action of the university.
Sen. Andrew Hatch introduced the resolution. The senator said it was a response to fears among some students about federal immigration authorities attempting to question or detain students on campus.
“I think it’s really important that we basically extend an olive branch to our international students,” Hatch said. “There are students that are concerned about their safety, their immigration status.”
In January, President Donald Trump signed an executive order allowing ICE to act in places they were previously restricted, including on college campuses, sparking fear at universities across the country.
The resolution includes seven requests for the university, including that it comply “as little as possible” with immigration enforcement, that it would ask any federal immigration agents to avoid conducting business on campus without a warrant, and to provide “know your rights” training for students.
It also asks the university to warn students with a Rave Guardian alert if immigration authorities will be on campus, to place “red cards” — which include information about individuals’ rights when dealing with immigration enforcement — in all campus buildings, and remind staff and faculty of FERPA restrictions on giving out students’ information.
Concerns about immigration enforcement formed in part to rumors or mistakes in communication among student groups, according to Hatch.
“Right after the new administration took over, there were a bunch of federal law changes, and there were three different reports on campus about ICE agents being on campus,” Hatch said. “Those turned out to be false and it was just regular campus police, but if your students are so anxious about potential ICE agents being on campus that they freak out just seeing regular campus law enforcement, to me, that’s an unhealthy level of anxiety on the students.”
Sara Mata, the director of Hispanic Serving Initiatives for WSU, confirmed the rumors about ICE agents were inaccurate.
No senators spoke against the bill, although some questioned the scope of the requests it makes of the university.
“Obviously, I’m not asking the university to do anything that would be considered illegal, or get it shut down, or anything like that,” Hatch said. “If there is anything like that, just to clarify for anybody, I would expect that the university just not honor those requests in my legislation.”
The resolution will go to Student Body President Kylee Hower for a signature. If signed, SGA will send the resolution to the university administration.
