The Student Association assembly on Monday night unanimously approved a bill calling for Syracuse University to become a “sanctuary campus.”

The resolution, “Call for Syracuse University To Be a Sanctuary Campus,” passed with all 22 assembly members voting in support of it. The bill, originally submitted by Chair of Academic Affairs James Franco and Assemblyman Marcus Lane in December, was tabled twice before reaching Monday night’s vote.

The resolution will be submitted to SU administrators, who can decide whether the university will declare itself as a sanctuary campus. Franco said after the meeting that the resolution is not legally binding and will not make SU a sanctuary campus but instead sends a message to Chancellor Kent Syverud.

“I am really happy. I think (the resolution) reflects the student body’s hope on campus and their feelings toward this,” he said. “It’s a unanimous vote, which rarely happens in SA. I think it’s important that the 15,000 undergraduate students have shown the chancellor that this is what we want, this is what we care about and this should happen.”

SA president Eric Evangelista said he was excited SA passed the bill, saying that it had “been a long time in the making.”

“I’m happy that the assembly was able to see a bill in full and vote on it and have their opinion heard on behalf of the student body and I look forward to further productive conversations with the Chancellor,” he said.

He added the bill will be printed and signed by himself and Obi Afriyie, SA’s parliamentarian. Evangelista will present it to Syverud the next time they meet.

The sanctuary campus movement encourages universities to adopt policies that protect students who are undocumented immigrants from deportations and other federal anti-immigration laws. It was triggered in response to the election of Donald Trump as president of the United States. Trump has pushed for mass deportation policies and tighter border control.

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Several universities, including the University of Pennsylvania and Drake University, have declared themselves a sanctuary campus while others have declined to do so. Hundreds of SU community members in November participated in a march across campus as part of a nationwide protest supporting sanctuary campuses.

SU’s Graduate Student Organization passed a resolution of its own in November calling for SU to become a sanctuary campus. The GSO also passed a resolution at the last University Senate meeting on Jan. 18 urging Syverud to clarify the university’s stance on undocumented students and the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, a program led by former President Barack Obama shielding undocumented immigrants living in the U.S. who entered the country as minors from deportation. Syverud did, however, previously sign a petition to continue to support DACA.

Despite pressure from some university community members to declare SU a sanctuary campus, Syverud has declined to do so. During his address to the campus two week ago, Syverud expressed support for undocumented students but said the meaning of a sanctuary campus is unclear. In an email disseminated to the university community last December, Syverud said the university “simply cannot ignore federal laws.”

Tony Callisto, senior vice president for safety and chief law enforcement officer, said in a statement on Monday that the Department of Public Safety neither inquires about immigration status of individuals on campus nor assists federal officials in immigration investigations or raids.

There are potential consequences if SU does choose to become a sanctuary campus. Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA) introduced a bill on Jan. 12 stripping funding for colleges committed to becoming sanctuary campuses. Trump also issued an executive order that withholds federal funding from “sanctuary cities,” such as Syracuse.

Walt Donner, a GSO senator from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs who was involved with the GSO sanctuary campus resolution, said he has been working with the administration on the issue. He said the university is interested in seeking input and willing to work with the student body on the issue. He added that the resolution is “an articulation of priorities” that the university can use as a tool to assess its policies.

He said he was ecstatic with SA’s passage of the resolution.

“It is a great showing of support for DACA students, our dreamers and also the immigrant community in Syracuse in general,” he said. “I think it’s encouraging that the student body is looking to work with the university administration on how we can help members of the community that may be at risk with the current policy changes.”

Published on January 30, 2017 at 10:41 pm

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