The Trump administration should cut off all federal funding to the UI and any other federally funded organizations that materially support breaking federal law and the US Constitution.
If they want to persist, fine. But not with taxpayer money.
As developments affecting national immigration policy and procedure continue to flow from the White House, a group created by the University of Idaho Faculty Senate is working to create a policy to provide additional protection for UI students, faculty and staff, some of whom may be in the U.S. illegally.
The proposal was discussed during the senate’s weekly meeting Tuesday afternoon.
Kate Evans, an associate professor at the UI College of Law and immigration law expert, said recent instruction from Secretary of Homeland Security John F. Kelly to immigration officials calling for stricter enforcement has “upped the level of anxiety to points that few practitioners have seen before.”
“This policy’s purpose is to build on commitments that the university has through the Faculty-Staff Handbook, through statements made by President (Chuck) Staben, to recognize the educational mission of the university and protect faculty, staff and students to the extent possible under federal law,” she said.
A draft of the proposed policy, which will be presented to Staben upon its completion, includes a request that the university continue to admit students under existing nondiscrimination policies, so those living in the U.S. illegally would still be considered for admission.
Other suggestions include requests for information by immigration and other law enforcement officials be directed to the UI Office of General Council and that no confidential student or employment records be released to immigration officials except when authorized by the student, required by law or when accompanied by a judicial warrant or court order.
According to the draft, this information includes immigration status, citizenship status, place of birth or other identifiable information about the person concerned.
The draft also requests the university not voluntarily grant access to UI controlled property unless compelled to do so by law, that campus security not investigate students it suspects to be in the U.S. illegally, document citizenship status or undertake joint efforts with local, state or federal law enforcement agencies based on civil immigration violations and administrative warrants.
The last policy request asks the UI not cooperate with any federal effort to create a registry of people based on religion, national origin, race or sexual orientation.
The senate also requested other steps be taken to address growing concerns of noncitizen students, including limiting information that may be on a university directory, training students how to restrict access to their personal information through FERPA, and making students aware of certain campus areas not open to the public, and therefore not open to immigration officials without a warrant, such as classrooms during class times and dorm rooms.