Montclair State Students Vote Down ‘Sanctuary Campus’ Bill

MONTCLAIR, NJ — Montclair State University President Susan Cole has promised that the school will provide a welcoming environment for students regardless of their immigration status. But is the student body at MSU on the same page?

During a Student Government Association (SGA) meeting last month, student legislators – working via an anonymous ballot – vetoed a bill that would have recommended that the university become a “sanctuary campus” and give students protections similar to sanctuary-style resolutions enacted by nearby towns.

• See related article: Montclair Adopts ‘Welcoming Community’ Resolution To Protect Immigrants (VIDEO)
• See related article: South Orange Offers Immigrants Sanctuary, Passes Resolution (PHOTOS)
• See related article: Bloomfield Welcomes Immigrants With ‘Sanctuary-Style’ Resolution (VIDEO)

The bill’s sponsor, SGA Legislator Welington Gomez, called the anonymous nature of the voting “very cowardly” after his effort failed to meet a two-thirds majority among the 16 legislators, The Montclarion reported.

“This was our chance to protect undocumented students,” he said. “If you are so passionate about the vote and you feel good about the vote, why do it in secret?”

The MSU student government bill, which was endorsed by the Lambda Sigma Upsilon Latino Fraternity, sought the following from university administrators, among other demands:

• Designation of “Sanctuary Campus” status
• “Refusal to cooperate with federal officials who seek to deport undocumented students”
• “Protecting the identities” of undocumented campus members
• Allowing qualified Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) students to pay in-state resident tuition
• Protecting undocumented community members’ access to aid and loans
• Refusing all voluntary information sharing with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CPB) “across all aspects of the university to the fullest extent possible under the law”
• “Refusing ICE physical access to all land owned or controlled by the university”

MSU PRESIDENT: ‘Regardless Of Immigration Status’

Montclair State University administrators have previously stated that the school attempts to protect the rights of its immigrant community whenever possible.

In the wake of President Donald Trump’s recent controversial executive order that temporarily banned immigration from several Muslim-majority countries, MSU President Susan Cole joined a chorus of North Jersey college administrator voices against the decrees.

• See related article: N.J. College Admins Criticize Trump Travel Ban, Will Protect Immigrant Students

“All of our students are entitled to, and receive, the full support of the university in achieving their educational goals, a mission that is sustained by a highly qualified faculty and staff, many of whom have come to the university from other parts of the world,” Cole said.

“Montclair State welcomes qualified students, regardless of immigration status, and except in circumstances mandated by federal law, the university does not inquire about or keep records of immigration status, nor does the university police department inquire about or record immigration status in the performance of its duties,” Cole added. “Further, Montclair State University maintains a strong commitment to, and vigorously complies with, federal privacy requirements for student records.”

• See related article: MSU President: Students Welcome ‘Regardless Of Immigration Status’

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