Make Colorado State University Into a Sanctuary Campus
Amy Parsons: 16th President of Colorado State University, Board of Governors of the Colorado State University System
As the Trump administration begins to ramp up action against undocumented communities across the United States, students and community members of Colorado State University are left to wonder how this will impact our own community. As students, we have reason to believe that these escalating levels of indiscriminate violent action will soon target our own. Especially as Trump promises to utilize Guantanamo Bay, famous for its history of torture and inhumane conditions, to house these detained undocumented immigrants.
With ICE raids in our backyard, we have seen the ways in which they impact families, tearing parents from children. In Loveland, a father was detained by ICE after dropping off his child at elementary school. In Aurora, the space force base is preparing to be utilized to house detained migrants. It is obvious that these raids are happening to undocumented individuals regardless of "criminal records", and have been specifically targeting laborers. The next step in their campaign of terror will be to target student populations.
As students, we must understand that these raids are indiscriminate in who they target, with a number of raids detaining United States citizens. In New Jersey, an US Military veteran was detained without a warrant. The Navajo Nation has reported the questioning and detainment of 15 individuals by ICE, all without the utilization of a warrant. ICE raids have also detained a legal migrant of 30 years, and a family of Puerto Ricans that committed the grievous crime of speaking Spanish. All of these incidents show that when ICE comes to CSU, they will not just be targeting undocumented immigrants, and that we all have reason to fear their presence on campus and in Fort Collins more broadly.
By signing this petition, you show to the Colorado State University administration that the students and community members of CSU support the undocumented students of CSU and other groups that will be targeted in the scenario of an ICE raid.
By signing this petition, your name will be shared with the administration of CSU only with your consent. Given the incredibly unlikely chance that there is a data leak, we advise some caution in signing this petition if you believe part of your identity could increase the risk of retaliation. If you are unsure about signing yourself, we suggest you share this petition with those who will not be put at risk by signing it.
Petition by
Sponsored by
To:
Amy Parsons: 16th President of Colorado State University, Board of Governors of the Colorado State University System
From:
[Your Name]
In light of the outcome of the recent presidential election and the divisive and dangerous language and actions enacted by the Trump administration, we believe that it is important for Colorado State University to reaffirm their commitment to diversity by ensuring the safety and security of all our students, faculty, staff, and community members, specifically the undocumented student community. We recognize that political and cultural diversity is the bedrock of democracy in the United States; however, in this post-election moment, we are experiencing escalated violence directed at these vulnerable communities. Moreover, absent or ambiguous policies that do not explicitly denounce this type of violence jeopardize our community’s commitments to Integrity, Inclusion, Respect, Service, and Social Justice in accordance with CSU’s Principles of Community.
CSU’s commitment to Inclusion must include undocumented students. It is of the utmost importance that students, staff, and community members see CSU committing to protect the most threatened students in this community. That's why the Office of the President must make a statement reaffirming the protections that are guaranteed by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) to all students, including undocumented students. This statement must include a link to Student Legal Services, a resource that is crucial at this time for any immigrant attending CSU.
It is important to remember the principle of Respect throughout these trying times. CSU must commit to its principles of free speech and not report any pro-Palestinian protesters to the federal government with the intent of getting student visas revoked. CSU can show its respect for its students and also the Constitution of the United States of America by protecting pro-Palestinian protestors and their right to free speech.
It is paramount that not only students but also staff be informed of their rights, specifically the differences between administrative and judicial warrants and the utilization of the fourth and fifth amendments. The school must provide all professors, administrators, CSUPD, and other staff with training on how to respond to ICE personnel who are requesting information about CSU students and/or attempting to enter CSU property. With this institution’s commitment to Integrity, it would not be true to ourselves or to our community to leave staff without directives on what to do in these scenarios.
Finally, CSU should refuse ICE personnel access into any part of CSU not accessible to the general public without a judicial warrant signed by a neutral judge or magistrate. This would reinforce CSU’s dedication to its principle of Social Justice, to show that an individual should not be removed from their home, family, or friends for the “crime” of not having proper documentation. Furthermore, CSU must refuse to involve CSUPD with any ICE cooperation program. CSUPD is an extension of the larger administration and should not be used to take action against innocent students. It exists for the purpose of protecting and assisting all students. CSUPD should be seen as a bastion of service for the community, not simply another tool to inflict harm upon its community members.
Any part of CSU not accessible to the general public must be defined as any place where individuals outside the university are not allowed, for example: educational buildings, classrooms, residence halls, dining halls, and more.
We as students and community members of CSU believe that this would effectively show how Colorado State University not only supports its most vulnerable communities but also how it demonstrates all five Principles of Community: Integrity, Inclusion, Respect, Service, and Social Justice, as well as its commitment to the RAMily.