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Show ON CAMPUS 5 TAYLOR STEVENS Westminster College President Steve Morgan released a statement designating the campus a safe haven for undocumented students on Dec 9. The safe haven designation means that the college will not actively aid in deportation efforts and will require U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials to acquire a warrant before obtaining access to records or campus property and instruct campus security not to act on behalf of ICE. Westminster becomes first safe haven campus in Utah for undocumented students quire a warrant before obtaining access to records or campus property and instructing campus security not to act on behalf of ICE. TAYLOR STEVENS EDITOR-IN-CHIE- F Westminster College President Steve Morgan designated die college a safe haven for undocu- mented students on Dec 9, making the college the first educational institute in the state to do so. Sean Desilets, a film studies professor; and Eileen Chanza Torres, an English professor, originally sponsored a petition to make Westminster Were not asking the college to break die law, Tones said at the ASW.Senate meeting during discussion of the petition. Were just asking that when we ask you to come here. The would repeal the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) immigration policy. DACA provides undocumented immigrants who entered our learning goals. If were true to the the U.S. as minors die opportunity to receive idea college-wid- of e diversity ferred action from deportation for a renewable two-yeperiod, as well as eligibility for a work and inclusion, then we really do need permit There is a sense that its possible that there could be a fairly serious crackdown on undocumented people if DACA is repealed, Desilets said. We know there are undocumented students on campus, and we want the college to provide a message that they will do everything that we will do everything we can to protect diem and to actually step up keep them safe. The Associated Students of Westminster (ASW) Senate voted on Dec 5 in support of die efforts of federal immigration authorities, Morgan wrote in the statement. Policies like these put senior political science major. other federal programs at risk programs that so many of our students depend on. Were we to make However, one ASW Senator felt the petition went too far. This legitimizes illegal immigration in my opinion, said junior senator Stephen Hollis, an this commitment, we could jeopardize ues that we sell you petition actually starts with one of ar conversations about whether or not pieople are worthy of an education, said Elhom Gosink, a we stick to the val- College a sanctuary school as a response to President-elect Donald Trumps statements that he de- describe cities that have policies declaring that officials will not cooperate with the deportation and demonstrate that we are a sanc- federal financial aid IMMIGRANTS ARE WHO ARE PART OF United States. assembled The OUR COMMUNITY, WHO ARE IN OUR CLASSES, WHO ARE PAYING TUITION, WHO ARE ACTIVE MEMBERS OF THIS COMMUNITY. re- emailed to the student body for our international students to continue their education in the OBVIOUSLY PEOPLE tuary. In a news funds for all of our students, or the ability THESE UNDOCUMENTED lease SEAN DESILETS, on Dec 9, Morgan stated that the college would commit to the standards the sanctuary campus 33 Film studies professor release which left the students, senators, staff at and faculty ASW5 s Dec. 5 Senate meeting experienced a broad range of reactions to the proposed aviation management major. ASW President Ben Pok said the colleges designation as a safe haven is a step in the right direction. I think Steve Morgan really reaffirmed his commitment to really protecting our students, Pok said. It makes me happy that the administration is making strides to protect undocumented students and making sure our campus is really inclusive of all people. Pok said ASWs goal moving into the spring semester is to hold the college accountable to protecting and providing resources to minority stu- dents. With the inauguration of President-ele- ct petition. This is a very complex matter, rais- Trump next month, Desilets said its more important than ever for the college to commit to protecting undocumented and other minority ing both legal and human issues, Mor- students who may be experiencing fear and gan wrote in his press meeting somewhat divid- petition, which had garnered over 450 signatures. Desilets said the sanctuary campus designation means that the college would not actively aid petition outlined, but said he chose to designate die college a safe haven rather than a sanctuary ed, despite the Senates vote of support Some people in the room became frustrated campus. in deportation efforts, requiring US Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials to ac The term sanctuary campus is piarallel to the term sanctuary city, a specific term used to with the slow process of approving the petition and felt the petition didnt go far enough. I dont even understand why we have to have anx- iety. These are obviously people who are part of our community, who are in our classes, who are paying tuition, who are active members of this community, Desilets said. And communities are designed to help and support the people who are in them. We just hop that this petition will help us to do that |