Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Immigrant Student Protections topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Students, advocates ask trustees to bar ICE access and protect student data across CSU campuses
Summary
Multiple speakers urged the Board of Trustees to publicly commit to refusing ICE physical access to CSU campuses, to safeguard student data and to expand legal and counseling services for undocumented and DACA students.
Several students and faculty used the trustees’ public comment period to press the California State University system for immediate protections for undocumented and mixed‑status students, citing recent immigration enforcement activity in the state.
Faith Chinnapong, a graduate student at San Diego State, asked, "How are you Chancellor Garcia and the trustees planning to keep our communities safe and push back against these mass deportations?" She and other speakers demanded that the CSU refuse Immigration and Customs Enforcement physical access to campuses and student housing, instruct campus police not to cooperate with ICE, and adopt policies to refuse the release of personal information to immigration authorities.
Speakers also requested expanded on‑campus legal services and dedicated counseling resources. Michelle Ramos, a professor and CFA chapter president at CSU San Marcos, urged hiring full‑time counselors and providing legal aid to undocumented students, saying such measures would better signal the system’s commitment to equity and campus safety.
Why it matters: Commenters said fear of immigration enforcement undermines students’ ability to study and to access services. Speakers sought concrete administrative commitments to protect student data and limit campus cooperation with immigration enforcement, and they requested systemwide guidance and resources to support affected students.
No formal CSU policy change or vote occurred during the session; speakers asked trustees to adopt explicit, systemwide protections and to direct staff to present actionable proposals in upcoming meetings.
