A couple of weeks ago, my parents talked to me about what to do if ICE were to interrogate or detain me; as a family, we decided that the safest course of action would be for me to carry my passport on me. So for the past couple of weeks, I have been carrying identification in case I get racially profiled or questioned by ICE — including when I’m on campus.
There is a real sense of fear and uncertainty, and these feelings no longer make campus feel safe. The University of Oregon has failed to adopt clear ICE policies to protect students on campus and has instead asked students to bear the responsibility of protecting one another.
At the Jan. 14 ASUO Senate meeting, there was one clear request students wanted — action from the university. Students advocated for an ICE alert system, similar to the police alerts which would alert all students when there is confirmed ICE activity on campus. The infrastructure to implement this already exists; however, university administration is hesitant to take action.
“The university feels as though their hands are tired, and all we can do is give the community space to voice their grievances,” ASUO Senator Cole Stevenson said. “I think it is incredible that they would have a report system for police but not for ICE — that’s a very interesting cutoff.”
Stevenson conveyed that the university feels immense pressure to retain potential funding from the federal government, and didn’t want to overstep boundaries in order to keep a favorable position with the current presidential administration.
“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor,” Giovanni Bazan-Espain said, quoting Desmond Tutu. He is a sophomore at UO and the president of the Latiné Male Alliance. Bazan-Espain has been very vocal about implementing an alert system on campus to protect students.
At the ASUO senate meeting, Bazan-Espain criticized the current UO administration for not using its resources to protect immigrant students on campus. Notably, General Counsel Kevin Reed was vocal about the potential of “false reports” through this system, and recommended students to carry documents on them and cooperate with the Department of Homeland Security when asked for proof of residency.
“I can’t begin to express my disdain, and honestly, my disgust with this administration — even if it was (a false report), I would rather be safe than sorry,” Bazan-Espain said. “What implementations are being put (to) protect documented and undocumented students, but most of all people who look like us?”
Bazan-Espain reiterated that the infrastructure for sending out campus-wide emails and alerts already exists, and has been used frequently to alert students of police activity on or around campus. That same logic could easily be applied to warning students about DHS activities.
“There are issues like this on the table where they can legally implement it, but they choose not to — since they aren’t willing to step on anyone’s toes to protect people,” Bazan-Espain said. “They keep putting out these blanket statements that they are for dreamers, international students and the immigrant communities on campus — but words are cheap, what actions are you doing to prove it?”
This small action can lead many students to feel safe and bring back security on campus. There has been ICE activity all over Eugene, and protestors have been detained less than a mile from campus. What is stopping the university from standing up for students?
“It doesn’t have to happen to you for you to stand up and say something,”Bazan-Espain said. “Karl Sholtz, Kevin Reed, if you choose to be neutral right now with the issue of ICE, you’re siding with the oppressor.”
