With President Donald J. Trump vowing to tighten immigration during his time in the White House, leaders at colleges and universities are working around the clock
“The most important think we must do is to communicate regularly with our students, faculty, and staff, reassuring everyone that our community is safe and focused on our important work in teaching and learning, and that we are prepared to protect and help our students from any abrupt, intrusive efforts to accost, arrest, detain or otherwise harass students,” said Patricia McGuire, President of Trinity Washington University.
McGuire—who has been one of the nation’s most vocal college presidents to criticize the Trump administration—said that Trinity, a Predominantly Black and Hispanic Serving Institution, has clear protocols in place to handle federal agents should they show up on campus demanding access. University leadership has also provided Dreamers with legal information and counseling services that are available to them.
“We have assured our students that federal agents cannot just come walking into classrooms or dorm rooms or get lists. They must have judicial warrants and subpoenas with some specificity,” said McGuire, who has led the private Catholic College since 1989. “Most important of all is being present to students who feel worried and fearful, and helping each to develop positive strategies to cope with this ugly moment in American life.”
Miriam Feldblum, executive director of the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, an organization composed of a group of leaders from institutions across the country committed to increasing public awareness of how immigration policies impact students, said that the potential threat that students face during a Trump presidency is top of mind for many college presidents and chancellors.
“How can we prepare our campus and support potentially impacted populations without creating panic or adding to stress and anxiety?” asked Feldblum during a January 8 webinar dedicated to exploring the impact that the Trump administration will have on undocumented students in higher education, and how American college and university leaders can navigate these potential impacts.
