By Juan Calvillo and Elijah Muller
President Donald Trump’s executive order, which focused on enforcing immigration law and deportation, has fostered fear across communities in the United States.
In response to this new executive direction, Long Beach State officials have created an informational website as part of the main CSULB site.
According to the university’s Director of News Media Service, Jim Milbury, the Enforcement Actions on Campus site “…was a collaboration among several offices across the divisions to help ensure our campus community has the information it needs.”
Information available on the website includes details on immigrants’ rights provided by the California Department of Justice, and videos describing what should be done when being confronted by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The Long Beach Current interviewed three members of the campus community, one of whom is also a lecturer on campus, about their knowledge of the website and the resources available to them.
None of those interviewed knew about the website.
Ruth Garcia, a studio arts major and transfer student, felt faculty was going above and beyond by providing these resources to students. She said it should be up to students to take advantage of the resources.
“If [students] do need help with anything, there are definitely resources on campus that they can go to, so I guess it’s on them to reach out,” Garcia said.
CSULB Alumni and American Indian Studies Lecturer Deborah Sanchez shared an alternative point of view. She said all of the immigration resources should be readily available and right on “the front page” of the CSULB website.
Sanchez recalled how CSULB did something similar for the COVID resources they offered students back in 2020, and she argued that the university ought to do the same for these immigration resources.
“Right on the front. Because it’s important, it’s relevant,” Sanchez said.
Christian Patiño, a second year pre-nursing major said while the university is making a valuable contribution by offering these resources, they “should be doing a little more,” to promote that information to the student body.
Though the University Police Department wasn’t involved with the creation of the website, according to UPD Chief John Brockie, the UPD does not conduct immigration enforcement, nor does the department participate with federal agencies who are doing immigration enforcement.
He said the UPD’s policy follows the California State University system wide policy.
CSU Policy 414, states “CSU police officers shall not contact, detain, question or arrest individuals solely on the basis of known or suspected immigration status.”
Brockie, who has viewed the EAC website, said it houses information that students, faculty and staff can use as guidance for their situations.
“You know there’s the ‘know your rights’ information and then there’s a link to the California Attorney General and immigrant preparedness toolkits. Putting it in a location where people can go back and forth and not be overwhelmed…,” he said.
CSULB faculty and staff were told via a campus-wide email on Feb. 10 about the EAC website and the university’s new policies regarding federal immigration enforcement actions on campus.
The email states CSULB is a public university, many areas of the campus are open to the public and accessible to federal immigration officers, but, by law, officers should not be able to enter nonpublic spaces. These include residence halls, classrooms during instruction, confidential meeting rooms and employee offices.
The email reminds faculty and staff, “…if an immigration enforcement officer approaches you to gain access to a nonpublic area of the university campus, or to obtain confidential student or employee records with or without a warrant, do not voluntarily grant access. Instead, respectfully inform the officer that you lack authority but will immediately contact the appropriate office.”
