Ithaca College announced on Feb. 6 that it has “no reason to believe” ICE will come to its campus, but has still provided information on what to do if approached by an immigration officer as a precaution.
Cornell University gave direction, and other institutions in the country have too.
As of Feb. 9, the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s total detained population hit 41,169 people. This is the highest it’s been at any point during the Biden administration and the first time its numbers have crossed 40,000 since the pandemic.
ICE’s persistent activity has caught the public’s attention and there is a sense of caution to prepare for the unknown.
Currently, the Latinx community is vulnerable. At Ithaca College, “the climate towards Latinos and Hispanics is very fearful,” said Anthony Leonel Ramos, a first-generation sophomore.“I feel like no matter where we are, no matter where we [Latinx] are placed, there’s always a target.”
Immigration law enforcement officers have shown up outside places of worship, restaurants, and car washes. Teachers and students are concerned they might appear at primary and secondary schools, this extends to higher academic institutions as well.
IC Poder is a Latinx student association, Rowan Catandella is one of its board members. She and the IC Poder team ensure it operates as a safe place for Latinx students to gather, embrace Latin culture, nurture diversity, and support each other in an intimate setting.
The organization resumed this semester after being on pause for a year. “We mostly wanted to bring back the club so people can get a sense of community again,” Catandella said. “This is a really scary time, especially for Latinos in the United States. And Ithaca College is a predominantly white institution, so we [the board members] wanted to have a safe space for Latinos again.”
It’s uncertain whether ICE will appear at a given time and place. According to Frenzen, this uncertainty is one of its main tactics to stir anxiety.
“It is difficult to predict ICE’s actions, particularly when it operates on people’s fear and instilling fear in communities,” said Dr. Alessandra Bazo Vienrich, a sociology professor and Latinx immigrant students’ experience researcher at Rhode Island College.
Whether ICE can enter campus and make arrests or detains depends on whether the area is considered public.
Because of the Fourth Amendment, federal immigration officers cannot access private areas of campus without a warrant or permission from campus authorities. Yet, public forums such as the quads or food court are places anyone can enter.
Niels W. Frenzen, professor and director of the Gould School of Law Immigration Clinic at the University of Southern California, said ICE would come to a campus specifically for a targeted investigation or arrest. However, an individual could still be approached by an officer without a warrant.
“Just because law enforcement or immigration law enforcement asks someone about their immigration status or for identity documents, you don’t have to comply,” Frenzen said
Dr. Bazo Vienrich encourages institutions to educate its campus community on procedures and policies regarding immigration law enforcement presence, remind people of their rights, keep informed, ask questions, and stay unified.
She insists Americans focus less on the “attacks” and center their efforts on “the people and their power at this moment to come together.”
“We can’t exist in fear,” Catandella said. “Yes, we need to be cautious of what’s going to happen, but at the same time, we need to know that there’s a place for us to be happy during these difficult times.”
