The University of Maryland SGA passed a resolution Wednesday calling on this university to become a sanctuary campus for undocumented and immigrant community members.

The bill, which passed 19-0-1, urges university administration and University of Maryland Police to refuse to enter any agreements or collaborations with federal immigration enforcement. Becoming a sanctuary campus would limit the university’s cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, according to the resolution.

“We’re voicing that we support our immigrant students here. We’re voicing that we don’t want the university to continue to work with the government or ICE,” Basil Chase, the bill sponsor and Heritage Community representative said.

The bill said this university has not publicly released any clear policies relating to protection of undocumented and immigrant community members or presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement on campus.

The university sent an email to faculty members in February about how to respond to ICE presence on campus. The email advises staff members not to interfere with the actions of the agents. It also says not share any private information about students or allow agents to enter non-public areas.

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More than 2,900 community members have expressed support for the university to become a sanctuary campus through an online petition created by this university’s chapter of Young Democratic Socialists of America, the bill read.

SGA executive vice president Riona Sheikh told The Diamondback that passing the bill is a way to represent the wishes of students and act as a liaison between them and administration.

“When thousands, literally thousands, of students have said that they want UMD to be a sanctuary campus, then we as SGA have a responsibility to listen to that,” Sheikh said.

The resolution also demands this university:

  • Deny ICE entry into private campus spaces unless a warrant is provided.
  • Refuse to share information with ICE about students, faculty or staff unless compelled to by a court order.
  • Set up UMPD text alerts, to inform students of ICE presence on or around campus.
  • Restore webpages and information associated with the Immigrant and Undocumented Student Life Office which were removed in August.

Sheikh said the bill also stems from concerns about the university providing information about Chinese international students and faculty researchers in April in response to a federal inquiry from the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party.

The request did not ask for personally identifiable information about students, university president Darryll Pines and provost Jennifer King Rice wrote in a letter about the university’s response to federal changes.

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This university was one of six to receive a letter from the committee requesting the information on March 19, The Diamondback previously reported.

Pines told The Diamondback that the administration is “committed to supporting our members of our entire community and staying within the law.”

He added that anyone who interacts with a federal agency official on campus should wait in a public area and contact UMPD. These officials are required to inform UMPD if they are coming to campus, Pines said.

Chase said the bill specifically indicates that SGA is asking for this university to take actions to protect students unless they are legally compelled to provide access to campus or information about students.

“Pines says a lot of things,” she added. “The university just needs to do a better job of protecting our immigrant students.”

This university wrote in a statement to The Diamondback that resolutions passed by the SGA “have no bearing on university policy or practice.”