American University students demand the school become ‘sanctuary campus’

Blue Atlas Cedars on the American University campus in Washington, D.C. An American University Student Government referendum asks school leaders to become a “santuary campus.” Courtesy of Miri Talabac

The American University Student Government this month passed a referendum calling on the school to designate itself a “sanctuary campus” for noncitizens.

A sanctuary campus, according to the referendum, “adopts policies to protect undocumented students from deportation.” The document cites several other schools across the country, such as the University of Pennsylvania and Portland State University, that have already issued similar designations.

Included in the referendum are demands for the school to not track its students’ citizenship, bar Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from participating in speaker panels and establish a “rapid response team” to address “immigration-related threats.”

“WHEREAS, American University continues to support and fund the AU Dream Initiative to provide legal consolations and legal representation for undocumented students for any institution in the DMV,” the document reads.

American University media relations officials said Monday “all student referendums are non-binding.”

In February, American University President Jonathan Alger sent an email to students in which he addressed “executive orders, and other policy actions from federal government.”

“Leaders across our university are carefully assessing legal and compliance requirements and determining the best next steps for our university by engaging our internal experts as well as higher education associations who are taking the lead on broader public policy questions,” he wrote. “While this work continues, it is important to avoid rushed conclusions, hypothetical situations, or unnecessary preemptive actions.”

Columbia University’s student worker union this month also called on the school to instate a sanctuary campus policy. It condemned the university for “surrendering” to President Donald Trump by allowing ICE agents on campus.

“By allowing ICE on campus, Columbia is surrendering to the Trump administration’s assault on universities across the country and sacrificing international students to protect its finances,” it wrote.

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