In the wake of the Trump administration's aggressive immigration policies, Illinois lawmakers passed a law last December aimed at protecting immigrant students from federal agents on campus. However, a Chicago Sun-Times and WBEZ investigation found that many public colleges in the state have failed to meet the requirements of this law, leaving students vulnerable and concerned. This raises a deeper question: Are these institutions truly committed to protecting their immigrant students, or are they just paying lip service to the cause?
The law, HB1312, requires public colleges and universities to establish protocols for handling immigration agents on campus and to provide students with certain information about their rights. However, four months after the law went into effect, many schools have failed to comply with its conditions. This is particularly alarming given the fact that Illinois is home to over 27,000 undocumented college students and over 64,000 international students who need a visa to study in the U.S., representing around 1 in 10 college students statewide.
One of the most concerning findings of the investigation was that three colleges failed to list a contact on their website to report immigration agents on campus, perhaps the most useful piece of information for students. Many students and staff also reported that their college or university didn't do much to inform people on campus about the updated policies or other ways they'd responded to the passage of the bill.
This lack of communication and transparency is particularly frustrating for students like Emilia Mancero, a senior at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign who grew up in Chicago's Belmont Cragin neighborhood. Mancero, who is heavily involved in immigration advocacy on campus, said she didn't know about the law or her school's procedures until a Sun-Times reporter informed her. She believes that more materials need to be distributed to students and that there needs to be more transparency around the school's policies.
The investigation also found that only four schools - the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, the University of Illinois Chicago, Illinois State University, and Elgin Community College - followed all four requirements for handling immigration agents on campus. This is despite the fact that the law says students and employees can file a civil lawsuit against their college if the school fails to follow certain parts of the law, and that the state legislature, which controls public university budgets, could choose to withhold funding from colleges that fail to comply.
The investigation also revealed that some schools went beyond the law and provided help that wasn't mandated, such as a 'frequently asked questions' section and resources in Spanish and other languages. However, others, like City Colleges of Chicago, Oakton Community College, Harper Community College, and Western Illinois University, failed to meet three of the four key requirements.
The findings of this investigation are deeply concerning and raise questions about the commitment of these institutions to protecting their immigrant students. It is clear that more needs to be done to ensure that these schools are complying with the law and providing the necessary support and resources for their immigrant students. As one student put it, 'I’m thankful that we’re one of the better ones, but I think there’s always more to do.'
In my opinion, this situation highlights the importance of holding institutions accountable for their actions and ensuring that they are truly committed to protecting their students, regardless of their immigration status. It is also a reminder that we need to continue advocating for policies and practices that support and protect immigrant students and ensure that they have access to the resources and support they need to succeed.
