For months, we have watched as the Trump administration continually erodes the rights of immigrants from a federal level. The increased militancy and secrecy of immigration enforcement has been devastating for immigrant communities, as well as the wider communities of cities and universities that these immigrants belong to. Even the most fundamental rights of United States residents, including the right to freedom of speech, are in jeopardy as the current administration is able to use immigration enforcement as a means of silencing those who speak in opposition to current government policies. The destruction of due process that we have witnessed under the current administration will have effects far beyond immigrants residing in the United States, documented or otherwise – it represents an encroachment on the rights of everyone living within US borders.

While both Boston and Oakland have been declared sanctuary cities that do not allow police forces to cooperate with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Northeastern University has no such policies to ensure the safety of immigrants within its community. Additionally, Northeastern has a glaring lack of provisions to offer legal aid to students threatened by ICE or to allow students facing deportation to complete their education. As a global university with over 20,000 international students, Northeastern owes these individuals protection from unjust persecution. By offering students – both undergraduate and graduate – a place to study, the university has a duty to care for these students as valuable members of our school community. The same is to be said for the many immigrants who occupy other roles on our campuses, from faculty members to dining hall workers and other staff. The current erosion of due process and other fundamental rights for immigrants sets a dangerous precedent for how our government may treat full citizens in the future. Regardless, the immigrants who comprise such a large portion of our school’s students, faculty, and staff are valued community members and deserve protection to the best of the university’s capabilities.

As students of Northeastern University concerned for the rights of the many immigrants in our community, we have outlined a set of demands for policies that the university can implement to help make our campus a safer place for all community members:

Here are our demands:

From herein the term Community Members refers to students (undergraduate and graduate), faculty members (professors, adjunct faculty, part-time faculty), and any workers or contractors (dining hall workers and facilities workers) on the Northeastern University premises.

From herein the term Northeastern-Managed Property is defined to include any property owned, rented (in part or whole), leased, or otherwise primarily operated by Northeastern.

From herein the use of the term the University encompasses the Northeastern University administration, Northeastern University Police Department, Campus Security Authorities (CSAs), and Oakland Department of Public Safety.

(1) Publicly declare the University and all associated campuses based in the U.S. to be sanctuary campuses. We define a sanctuary campus to mean that the Northeastern Administration and any party contracted with the University will not:

• Engage in any assistance, coordination, or partnership with Department of Homeland Security (DHS), including deputizing officers or arresting people as part of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) 287(g) program

• Follow through with ICE detainer requests

• Cooperate in the transfer of detainees from campus police custody to DHS custody

• Collaborate with federal agencies in any effort to identify, surveil, detain, or deport community members (e.g. Trump administration's March request for universities to name student protesters)

(2) Federal immigration authorities must be barred from entering Northeastern-managed property if they do not have an appropriate judicial warrant except as required by lawful subpoena or lawful order. In the event that the University is served with a valid search or arrest warrant by DHS that has not been invalidated by a court of competent jurisdiction, the University shall request that any questioning of community members on the University’s premises occur in as private a setting as possible.

(3) Mandate legal training for all university faculty and staff to ensure they understand the difference between an administrative and judicial warrant.

(4) Guarantee the privacy of community members by refusing to release information regarding their immigration status or place of residence to any government agency, except as required by a lawful subpoena. The University will provide notice within one calendar day to any community member of a subpoena or any investigation from a governmental agency seeking information about the community member.

(5) Designate a fund to cover legal advice, representation, and other expenses related to immigration services needed by community members (e.g. members who are persecuted by ICE or prevented from reentering the country after traveling). Additionally, the University will promote local resources available to community members, including a list of trusted attorneys, so that they can receive financial and legal assistance when necessary.

(6) Ensure all students have the opportunity to continue their education and graduate through online coursework and/or at a global Northeastern campus regardless of any changes in their immigration status.

(7) Guarantee to all workers, faculty members, or contractors employed by the University that admin, in a timely manner, will continue to complete work authorization documentation consistent with applicable law and student authorization documentation in the same manner. The University will continue its practice of assisting community members by promptly providing documents necessary for immigration matters, and will respect the privacy rights of workers consistent with all applicable laws.

(8) Provide resources that advise international and undocumented students about how to minimize risk of being denied reentry when traveling outside the country.