In anticipation of more aggressive actions by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) under President Donald Trump’s new administration, Shoreline Community College approved Policy 1010 “Immigration Data” on Jan. 29. This policy is designed to provide a barrier between undocumented students and ICE agents on campus.
According to Policy 1010, “The College does not grant permission for any person engaged, or intending to engage, in immigration enforcement, including surveillance, access to College grounds, or their immediate vicinity.” This doesn’t go above state or federal laws but serves as a baseline of safety for SCC grounds.
Under this policy, faculty aren’t allowed to help or interfere with ICE agents; all ICE activity must go through the Safety and Security office. The officers of Safety and Security are to verify the ICE agents’ badge numbers and warrants; if they have no warrant, they aren’t allowed to take any actions on campus. Washington State’s policy for ICE is to only aid them when they have to and only to the extent required by law.
These changes are in part a reaction to an executive order released on Jan. 20, which will repeal many of the protections afforded to undocumented immigrants by the Biden administration and remove federal funding for “sanctuary” jurisdictions. Previous policies prevented undocumented immigrants from being arrested at churches and schools, but these have been revoked.
The fundamental rhetoric at hand is that the risk of criminals amongst undocumented immigrants is enough to justify upending their lives. According to the order, “Many of these aliens unlawfully within the United States present significant threats to national security and public safety, committing vile and heinous acts against innocent Americans.” This will be used to justify the removal of many basic decencies afforded to them. Many have immigrated here in order to live a better life, and some are unable to safely return to their home countries because their gender identities, political ideologies, or religious beliefs could put them in mortal peril.
Brian Ramos, the Vice President of SCC’s department of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA), encouraged students to know “your own individual rights … I say this not only to support your colleagues, friends, and family members who may be impacted by these changes. Every Washington state resident should know their rights when it comes to law and immigration enforcement.” To get this knowledge, there were two sites he recommended: SCC’s Undocumented Student Resources tab and the website of the Northwest Immigrants Rights Project, which was created to spread information on laws that affect undocumented immigrants.
Faculty who encounter ICE agents are to direct them to the Safety and Security office under Policy 1010. The policy doesn’t directly impact students, but if students see an ICE agent, they should call Safety and Security at (206) 235-5860. The Safety and Security Office is located at the FOSS (5000) Building in Room 5102.
