In 2004, NYU published a document titled the University as Sanctuary, deeming the university a "sacred space sustaining and enhancing scholarship, creativity and learning." Today, we, the students and faculty, call on our university to become a sanctuary not only for education, but the community members who study, live, and work on this campus.

In the past week, we have seen our peers experience more hate crimes than ever before. NYU students have expressed fear not only over President-Elect Trump's policies, but the dangerous environment that his supporters have created. Most notably, a Muslim student prayer room was vandalized on the Tandon School of Engineering campus. Our students rallied in support, but our administration stayed chillingly silent.

Silence is the last thing our community and our world needs in this moment. Now more than ever, our institutions must act as safe havens for our most vulnerable students. With a governmental shift that poses an increasing threat to our safety, we turn to our schools for asylum. We know our campus has the potential to be a sanctuary, and we demand that potential be realized.

As students at New York University we urge you to affirmatively stand with immigrants who study, live, and work at New York University by adopting a public, written policy communicating the the following protections:

• The university refuses to share any information voluntarily with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or Customs and Border Protection (CBP) across all aspects of the college/university to the fullest extent possible under the law;  

• The university refuses ICE physical access to all land owned or controlled by the university;

• The university prohibits campus security from inquiring about or recording as to an individual’s immigration status or enforcing immigration laws or participating with ICE/CBP in actions.  

• The university does not use e-verify.  

• The university prohibits housing discrimination based on immigration status.

This policy shall be enforced by all university staff and all contractors and subcontractors and their employees working on property owned or controlled by the college or university.  

The university commits to ongoing dialogue with the students about additions to the college or university policy and support for community efforts that protect immigrants who study, live, and work at the university, their families and the whole community.