Students at Grand Valley State University held a protest last Tuesday urging administrators to adopt policies of non-compliance with federal immigration enforcement agencies. Despite cold weather, students took to the streets and marched through the Valley Campus to gain the attention of administrators, who state there is established support in place for international and immigrant students.
The protest was led by Progressive Student Union (PSU) and endorsed by Latino Student Union, Faculty and Staff for Justice in Palestine, the Advocacy Chapter of the American Association of University Professors at GVSU, Grand Rapids Coalition to Oppose Trump and Ivan Diaz, Senate candidate from Grand Rapids’ 29th Congressional District. PSU advocates for the Board of Trustees to pass a policy that no GVSU facilities, information, funds, personnel or property “assist federal immigration enforcement in any way.” The group also states the University’s Department of Public Safety should be prohibited by policy from cooperating with ICE.
The University admits students without considering citizenship, and doesn’t maintain any records that reveal undocumented status, per Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) guidelines. GVSU’s current guidelines for interacting with government officials and federal law enforcement is to call the Office of General Counsel if federal officers enter non-public space on campus. However, students in attendance at the protest feel the University should take further steps in enacting policies of non-compliance with federal immigration enforcement…