Drew’s Office of Campus Life & Student Affairs released an updated version of their “Protocol for Responding to Requests for Information About Members of the University Community” in an email blast to students and community members on Wednesday, Jan. 29. This comes in the wake of the recent drastic actions taken by the United State’s Department of Immigration & Customs Enforcement since Donald Trump took office on Jan. 20, including a marked spike in raids on businesses in northern New Jersey and other diverse areas.
The updated policy outlines procedures for “an appropriate response …[to requests for information about the community] in some situations,” and sets out guidelines for access to University data and other protected information, said Vice President for Campus Life Frank Merckx. Merckx acknowledged the recent heated political climate in his email to students about the policy.
“[Drew] values the rich heritage of our diverse student and employee populations, many who come to Drew from around the world” and “I would be remiss not to recognize that the current national dialogue has raised some of our community’s concerns about their privacy and safety, questioning how other potential changes may affect them,” said Merckx.
The policy starts by laying a ground rule that “Drew University faculty and staff must take great care when responding to requests for information … about members of the University community.”
It goes on to stipulate that the University has a working understanding with local law enforcement, and requires that any warrants or other legal notices that law enforcement may have to be served to the Vice President for Campus Life (Merckx, in this case) at the Ehinger Center.
It also addresses media presence on campus, stipulating that while media representatives do not need permission to be on adjacent streets (for example, across the street on Madison Avenue or Green Village Road), they must obtain prior approval from the Office of Communications or Athletics to be anywhere on Drew’s campus. If they enter without approval, Campus Security will “work with” Communications and they may be asked to leave.
The document instructs anyone who witnesses or is confronted by law enforcement walking onto campus that “per institutional policy,” they must immediately direct said agency to Campus Security and gives additional contact information for third parties to reach out to for specific inquiries. At the end of his email, Merckx also provided a number of other contacts that community members may “reach out to a variety of offices on campus for support or assistance or with any questions,” including the Counseling Center and International Student and Scholars Services.
As Merckx acknowledged, the political climate in the U.S. has become increasingly heated and volatile, due to the aftermath of Trump’s Jan. 20 inauguration. In the past few weeks alone, Trump has rapidly passed multiple executive orders commanding drastic changes that have thrown the country into disarray.
These orders, while reversing several policies from the Biden administration, address topics including erasing queer and trans representation in government, birthright citizenship and locking down immigration and border security.
The orders are often criticized for being rushed and poorly thought out, causing widespread confusion — a recent loophole in one anti-trans release accidentally rendered all U.S. citizens legally female, due to the administration’s failure to take into account that all humans have female biological traits at conception.
Although New Jersey’s current governor, Philip Murphy, has repeatedly vowed to meet any order targeting the state with noncompliance and to protect vulnerable minorities at all costs, Trump has repeatedly deployed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to many majority-Hispanic and majority-Black areas of New Jersey.
“Regarding the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids, it’s definitely something I think a lot about as much as other Hispanics and people it affects. Being on campus, I feel safe, but it’s always a lingering thought that anything can happen in this world,” said Edgar Guzman (‘28).
These recent deportation raids have led to random and warrantless detainments in nearby towns such as a local business in Newark, New Jersey — despite Newark having established itself as a sanctuary city for immigrants in 2017.
One of the detainees there was a U.S. military veteran who was interrogated about the authenticity of his military documentation. Mayor Ras Baraka of Newark said in a statement shortly after that “[the city] will not stand by idly while people are being unlawfully terrorized,” and condemned the incident as a “plain violation of the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.”
Even after the veteran, who is of Puerto Rican heritage, showed agents his valid veterans identification card, he was detained without a warrant regardless and questioned repeatedly by officers, said a statement jointly published by Puerto Rico’s Resident Commissioner Pablo José Hernández and New York congressman Adriano Espaillat.
This terror that many immigrants feel is by no means new — it traces its roots all the way back to a lesser known part of history during the Great Depression when the U.S. government deported between 300,000 and 2 million Mexican Americans and Mexicans, in a program known as the Mexican Repatriation.
About 60% of them were American citizens whose parents were first-generation immigrants, and even minorities born here continue to be targeted by predatory immigration policy. These widespread misconceptions about undocumented immigrants fuel angst and hatred, and this has left members in educational and religious spaces to be cautious for the unexpected.
Trump’s recent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement deployments are not limited just to New Jersey – a recent early-morning visit to an apartment building in Alexandria, Virginia, left many residents fearful and livid while speaking with local media outlet NBC4 Washington after agents began banging on their doors and in some instances, trying repeatedly to force their way into their homes at about 6:15 a.m.
Local leaders in Maryland and other states throughout the country are preparing for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to begin entering previously private and protected spaces like churches and even elementary schools in attempts to ferret out children whom Trump’s “border czar,” Tom Homan, outlandishly claims are teenage MS-13 gang members.
Many Drew students, witnessing these incidents day-by-day as one of the most connected generations in history, are shocked and appalled. “The treatment that immigrants face in this country is incomprehensible and needs to end. The U.S. is meant to be an open, free nation and we must work as a community to make it so,” said Stephanie Yanes (‘27).
Note from the Authors:
Is there really such a thing as the American dream? Is a country that prides itself on being the “melting pot” discarding the main ingredient? The snacks and spices from the international section of a grocery store, abroad summer vacations and upbeat, soulful music that Americans cherish, originate from the people who uphold these traditions and values. From our cultural clubs such as ARIEL, South Asian Student Association, Drew African Student Association, Black student Union, Asian Student Union and Muslim Student Association, the purpose of Drew is to provide new experiences and education for all on campus. As a community that stands for unity and acceptance, we have a responsibility to look out for our peers and staff regardless of where they come from.
The Drew Acorn is committed to updating the university’s community on subsequent current events. Drew students may continue to monitor our publication for ongoing updates on developments and information that could potentially affect the well-being and livelihoods of those on campus.
Sabr Keres-Siddiqui is a sophomore majoring in sociology and minoring in journalism/journalistic advocacy
Jodi Velez is a sophomore majoring in media and communications and minoring in marketing
Daughter attended Drew U. I applaud what they are doing. Everyone’s rights need to be protected. Bravo Drew