Since President Donald Trump has taken office, ICE arrests have risen from a daily average of 311 in 2024 to between 1,000 and1,200 in the past week. These sudden changes in enforcement have caused anxiety for students and educators across the nation.
University Diversity Officer Joseph Morales sent a campus-wide email on Jan. 24 with guidance and resources for faculty, staff and students should they encounter ICE officers on campus.
Chico State students are instructed to contact Morales immediately should they encounter an enforcement officer on campus through his phone number, 530-898-3971, or email, [email protected].
ICE officers are not allowed to enter non-public areas of campus without a federal court warrant, including dorms, University Village, indoor classroom buildings, the Student Services Center, indoor offices, campus museums, Nettleton Stadium and the Performing Arts Center.
If an ICE officer asks for access to a non-public area, students should ask for the officer’s name, ID number, agency affiliation and a copy of a subpoena or warrant. However, students are advised to clarify that they are not impeding any investigation, Morales said.
ICE officers may present an ICE warrant, which can be authorized by any immigration enforcement officer. However, ICE warrants alone do not meet requirements of the Fourth Amendment and do not grant access to non-public areas of campus. In order to gain access to non-public areas of campus, officers must have a warrant signed by a federal judge.
A guide for higher educational institutions sent out by the California Attorney General in December instructs all California university staff to not accept an ICE warrant or to aid ICE investigators in any campus operations.
Many of the resources listed in the email come from the California State University Chancellor’s Office. They recommend that students who are concerned about enforcement attend immigration webinars hosted by Immigration Legal Defense, learn their rights under the California Department of Justice and work with campus staff to feel safe.
In the state of California, everyone regardless of immigration status has the right to legal aid. In the case of state and local law enforcement, a lawyer must be provided upon request. If a person is detained by ICE, ICE is not obligated to provide a lawyer but can provide a list of free or low-cost legal services.
Red cards, small cards available in a variety of languages, list rights for undocumented citizens and are available in the Dream Center on campus or online.
The next ILD webinar topic is “Traveling in the U.S. While Undocumented,” and will be hosted on Feb. 12.
Should students have questions or concerns they are encouraged to contact the Dream Center and/or Morales. The Dream Center is open from 8 a.m.- 5 p.m., Monday through Friday in Meriam Library room 162.
Jessica Miller can be reached at [email protected]