Marywood University is committed to its mission of empowering the marginalized and upholding human dignity. The university’s president, Lisa Lori, recently acknowledged in a message to the campus that some members of the Marywood community are experiencing fear and worry as a result of U.S. President Donald Trump’s executive orders on immigration and deportation.
Lori expressed the importance of the Marywood community and her commitment to protecting those who make up the body of campus. She explained the 4th, 5th and 14th Constitutional Amendments, also including the rights of freedom of religion, speech, press and assembly.
In an interview with The Wood Word last month, Lori explained that Marywood is rooted in Catholicism. Therefore, the institution is all-inclusive, for all persons, regardless of their backgrounds and that it is her duty and commitment to foster a safe environment.
In the memo, Lori highlights Marywood’s core values and mission and assures “all members of the Marywood community, including students, staff and faculty, that Marywood University stands by and I am committed to protecting Marywood’s identity, mission, core values and the constitutional rights of all persons.”
On Feb. 17, Marywood co-sponsored the Prayer Vigil for Immigrants & Refugees. The vigil took place at Courthouse Square in Downtown Scranton.
After Trump returned to office, major policy changes were made to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) affecting sensitive locations like churches and schools where arrests could now happen.
Just two weeks in, approximately 8,200 immigrants were arrested, though just less than half had criminal convictions based on government data collected by ProPublica and The Texas Tribune.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security reported that ICE arrests increased by 627% during the first month of Trump’s administration. More than 20,000 illegal immigrants were detained, which surpasses monthly arrests in the last 11 years and the 33,000 at-large arrests under the Biden administration last year.
New budget resolutions released by the House Budget Committee involve high sums of tax cuts and slash spending over the coming decade. This budget resolution directs the House Education and Workforce Committee to cut at least $330 billion for higher education.
These cuts are necessary to fund Trump’s more than $300 billion in new immigration and defense spending, Jessica Blake writes.
All of this is just the beginning of mass deportation plans Trump has openly discussed. Since the early stages of his campaign, he expressed his discontent with the illegal immigrant population. And in an interview with Kristen Welker for NBC News, Trump said he does not want to break up families, so sending them all back is the only way to keep them together.
Undocumented and immigrant college students have expressed their fear and anxiety across the country, fearing ICE agents will show up on campuses and seize them.
Online platforms have been flooded with what to do and what not to do in case ICE comes knocking at your door.
“People need to start proactively thinking about how to act if they were to be detained,” said Jenny Gonzalez Monge, STARS Program director at Marywood.
The STARS Program (Students Together Achieving Remarkable Success) is a program designed for Latino/a/x youth in third through 12th grades, offering the opportunity to explore career goals while exposing them to educational paths, trades and careers through one-on-one mentoring.
Gonzalez has been completing trainings and webinars which are coming out statewide and nationwide, providing information on constitutional rights and the differences between judicial and administrative warrants.
The Pennsylvania ACLU and pro-immigrant agencies have been providing Gonzalez and other programs with resources. Gonzalez is using this information with the youth in her program and their families.
Marywood departments, such as the Office of Academic Success, have helpful information for students who need it. Assistant Director Nicollette Bordo is ready to support students and provide guidelines on what to do and not do in case their families or themselves are approached by ICE agents.
“We are learning and gathering resources, and we are here to support our students,” said Bordo.
Gonzalez explained individuals’ rights.
“Under the Fourth Amendment, immigrants’ constitutional rights are strongest in private spaces,” explained Gonzalez.
Officials may only enter your private space with a judicial warrant, but never with an administrative warrant unless the person named consents.
“People need to understand their right to deny entry to immigration agents without an official judicial warrant into a private space; that they have the right to remain silent, and the right to an interpreter. People should not sign anything without an attorney,” Gonzalez further explained.
Knowing rights and understanding the difference between Judicial and Administrative warrants is crucial, she said. With the change in federal actions, universities, including Marywood, have researched how to respond.
On behalf of Marywood’s administration, Campus Safety shared the university’s Protocols for Responding to Law Enforcement with campus members. This document has information detailing how to respond to any visit from ICE, the FBI or any government agency, including contacting Campus Safety when on the university’s premises. Privacy laws for student protection are emphasized, and if students need a complete list of resources, they may reach out to the Student Experience Office or the Human Resources Office for further guidance, as stated in the protocols document.
All resources offered by the university’s administration and other departments are available to students, faculty and staff who need them. Note that Marywood’s protocols are exclusive to the institution. Still, constitutional rights are for persons to carry with them regardless of location.
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