An announcement sent by President Steve Perez on March 6th informed all Chico State students and staff that U.S. Border Patrol will be attending the career fair on campus, March 27.
U.S. Border Patrol is responsible for immigration, border security, and agricultural management. They’re one of the largest law enforcement agencies in the world with over 60,000 employees.
Border patrol officers will only be on campus to offer employment information, Perez said.
The Career Center, Vice President for Student Affairs office, Office of Equity Diversity and Inclusion, Latinx Equity and Success, Dream Center, Counseling Center and Associated Students Government Affairs decided to collaborate on resources for students who may be affected by border patrol’s presence on campus. This includes:
- Drop-in counseling services during the career fair
- Access to a list of employers who will be attending the fair
- “Know Your Rights” presentation on March 14 at 4 p.m. in Student Services Center 150
During the presentation, the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights expressed that students, regardless of immigration status or criminal history, have the following rights:
- Request a phone call
- Speak with and be represented by an attorney
- Reasonable search and seizure
- Just and fair trial
- The right to remain silent
Additionally, California is not a stop-and-identify state, meaning law enforcement cannot require identification without just cause.
The “Know Your Rights” presentation will be available to the public via the Dream Center website early next week.
Students can also find additional information regarding their rights on campus on the “Know Your Rights” page of the Chico State website.
Border patrol has visited campus in the past for a career fair in 2019. Their presence was previously met with outrage online and concern from students. Some believed that bringing border patrol to campus was directly contradictory to the diversity the University promotes.
The Orion will provide updates as more information becomes available.
Jessica Miller can be reached at [email protected].
