By Nasai Rivas
Red cards are being distributed around campus by Associated Students Inc., the Dream Success Center, California Chancellor’s Office, and California State Student Association.
One side of the card informs immigrants of their rights and what to do when a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agent approaches them. The other side of the card provides responses to those agents.
“I choose to exercise my constitutional rights,” the card reads.
The red cards are an effort across universities in California to inform undocumented students of their rights in case of ICE raids.
Executive Vice President of ASI Matt Melendrez said the red cards help spread knowledge to undocumented students on how to protect their civil rights from immigration officers.
“It’s important that [ASI] get this information to each and every single person so that they’re protected, because if they can tell that law enforcement officer or whoever is violating their rights, like, clearly, right there, plain and text-like, what their rights are as a person, then hopefully it begins to make a difference,” Melendrez said.
Melendrez said the reason they are doing this is because some undocumented students don’t know their rights.
ASI President Nikki Majidi said the main thing ASI is doing to help students is spreading information and helping students feel secure. The cards are part of ASI’s increase in spreading information for undocumented students at Long Beach State.
“I think that’s the biggest thing on our minds, spreading as many resources as possible, spreading as many red cards,” Majidi said.
Majidi said students who might be targeted by ICE should feel secure and that they belong here like the rest of the student body. Nobody should feel afraid to come on to campus, she said.
Majidi also said that the CSULB administration is working to help undocumented students, which includes faculty training.
“What touched my heart was when I went to class last week…our professor sat us down and said, ‘If I hear that there are gonna be these officers coming on campus, class is cancelled and you can leave,’” Majidi said.
That was when she realized how she can use her position to help students feel safe on campus, she said.
“How can I use my voice to empower all students?” Majidi said. “What [ASI] does is in the interest of uplifting students.”
Majidi said the university is pushing out its enforcement actions on campus for students and faculty
According to the enforcement actions, CSULB does not share information with law enforcement authorities about the immigration status of students and faculty without their permission.
Another part of ASI’s advocacy includes an allocation of $9,000 to the Dream Success Center to help expand its services, according to ASI Communications Manager Shannon Couey in an email to the Current.
“ASI is committed to supporting all students, including undocumented students, by ensuring they have access to resources, advocacy and institutional support,” Couey wrote.
The email states that Melendrez is also working on an ASI senate resolution to support undocumented students.
Another part of ASI’s initiatives to help undocumented students is through the Lobby Corps.
“Within Lobby Corps, we are working on a legislative policy agenda; this is basically a way for us in Lobby Corps to support [bills of interest] within the state assembly and state senate,” Student Representative at Large for Lobby Corps Lily Gibbs said.
For students on campus who want to help undocumented students, Melendrez advises getting involved in any way.
“Join a student organization. Join a community organization that is fighting for the rights of undocumented immigrants or issues that impact them or their community or their families,” Melendrez said. “Now is not the time to stand by and enforce passivity, because when we are silent, it’s our communities that pay the price.”
