By As immigration enforcement continues to intensify under the Trump administration, faculty and advocates at Long Beach State sought to help educate students and staff on their legal rights.
The California Faculty Association of Long Beach collaborated with the Latinx Faculty and Staff Association to host a workshop on immigration defense at the University Student Union on Monday, Feb. 10.
Shiu-Ming Cheer, the Deputy Director of Immigrant & Racial Justice at the California Immigrant Policy Center, said that the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has long practiced not conducting raids at ‘sensitive locations,’ which include schools, places of worship, health centers and educational institutions.
The Trump administration has since reversed that policy.
“Because we’re now living in a time when a lot of things are unprecedented, and we can’t really predict what happened,” Cheer said. “But there’s been almost no instances of ICE seeking to enter schools. That’s why it’s important that we know our rights.”
ICE has the authority to enter public spaces such as streets, parks, courthouses, and government buildings to make arrests. However, they cannot arrest or conduct raids if the space is private without a valid warrant.
Cheer said a solution to keeping places private is to put up signs on doors to indicate that the area is private, such as designating a library room as a student-only reading area.
“Everyone who lives in the U.S. has legal rights regardless of immigration status,” Cheer said.
Graphic credit: El Nicklin
If ICE does show up, Cheer said students and staff need to be aware of the following rights:
- You may ask an officer if you are being arrested, but you have the right to remain silent.
- Anything you say can be used in court against you.
- Right to an attorney.
- Do not sign any documents.
Cheer said it is highly encouraged that faculty and campus police be notified if ICE is seen on the CSULB campus.
Norma Salcedo, the Director of Dream Success Center, said that the center provides free legal immigration services for students and their families.
She said it is highly advised to create an emergency plan if someone they know or they are not citizens.
This plan can include having a list of phone numbers to call, a lawyer’s name and number and important documents stored in a safe place at home.
Alicia Del Campo, a Spanish professor at CSULB, said safety is the main reason such workshops are crucial for the university community.
“We need to create a network of well-informed faculty and staff, so then we can adequately help protect students. Staff and students may be at risk from the current administration,” Campo said.
