With President Donald Trump back in the Oval Office and his vows of mass deportation, millions of mixed status families across the nation are left with uncertainty over what this means for them.
This uncertainty is noticeable at Cal State Bakersfield, a public university where much of its property is accessible to anyone, including immigration enforcement officers.
“However, immigration officers cannot enter areas that are not open to the general public, such as residence halls, classrooms while class is in session, confidential meeting rooms and spaces, or employee offices unless the officer presents a valid judicial warrant or declares that exigent circumstances exist,” wrote CSUB President Vernon B. Harper Jr. in an email to the campus community.
In cases where immigration officials declare exigent circumstances, they may access non-public areas, in which case the University Police Department should be contacted immediately at 661-654-2677.
To ensure that the campus community is informed, CSUB has sent out emails with information about immigration resources, preparation steps, protocols and constitutional rights.
Anthonio Reyes, vice president of legislative affairs for Associated Student Inc. explained that they are working on making this information more accessible to the community by possibly creating more visually engaging graphics.
Reyes also mentioned the importance of making sure campus policies are very clear and emphasizing that UPD does not work in conjunction with immigration officials unless a judicial warrant is present.
Various areas on campus offer Red Cards, which can help people assert their constitutional rights and defend themselves in different situations.
If immigration officials arrive on campus, the designated point of contact is Chief of Police Maricela Gonzalez, she can be reached at 661-654-2677. Gonzalez is in charge of handling interactions with immigration officers and reviewing the legality of all immigration enforcement documents such as warrants, court orders and subpoenas.
If Gonzalez is not available, students or staff should contact UPD at 661-654-2677. Lori Blodorn, vice president of people and culture can also be of assistance and can be reached at 661-654-2266.
CSUB counts with a group of campus allies called UndocuAllies, who are trained to support undocumented students. These allies attend training hosted by the Multicultural Alliance and Gender Equity Resource Center, where they learn about constitutional rights, immigration terminology, legal processes and appropriate steps to take in various situations.
“That’s something that keeps me up at night,” said Jasmine Padilla, coordinator of the Dreamers Resource Center and the MAGEC Center. “I always worry that I’m going to get an email, a phone call from a frantic parent saying ‘my child just got detained.’”
If a CSUB student is detained by immigration officials and taken into custody, their emergency contact will be notified by Emily Poole Callahan, assistant VP and dean of students. The university’s immigration attorney will also represent the student at no cost. If a student is unable to complete the semester due to the detention, the Dean of Student Office will inform the student’s professors and assist with the withdrawal or pause process.
The heightened fear and anxiety surrounding potential deportation is a significant issue on campus.
Besides the heightened fear and anxiety surrounding potential deportation, another major concern for students is the feeling of being unprepared, said Padilla.
“I’ve had various students just coming to campus is an issue, commuting from their home to campus is living in fear and the anxiety that on their way to school, where they feel safe, is a place where something can happen along the way on that commute… or while they’re at school something will happen to their family member like mom or dad,” said Padilla.
She said that CSUB has students of mixed status families, where some may have legal status but have undocumented family members. In these situations, if a parent or guardian is detained, students could potentially find themselves responsible for caring for their younger siblings. This potential responsibility, paired with the fear of losing their loved ones, may cause these individuals immense stress.
For students dealing with these fears, the MAGEC Center can provide them a family preparation plan to help them prepare for worst case scenarios.
