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USG votes to make UConn a sanctuary city
Undergraduate Student Government voted Wednesday night to work toward establishing the University of Connecticut as a sanctuary city, meaning the university would not cooperate with federal law if deportations of undocumented students occurred.
The issue of deportation has been widely discussed both at the university and at the national level since Donald Trump won the presidential election on Nov. 8. Deportations of undocumented immigrants was one of the major promises of his campaign.
Several students attended the undergraduate student senate meeting to speak on the legislation, including undocumented immigrants who helped organize a rally on campus in response to the presidential election last Wednesday.
“I do not want to hear a comment saying that we’re stealing jobs or we are receiving benefits and this and that but the reality is that we don’t get any of those things. We have never received government help or social benefits,” Joseline Tlacomulco, an undocumented student activist, said.
USG President Dan Byrd, who co-authored the bill, said the next step is gaining more student support and meeting with administration and bringing the idea of a sanctuary city to their attention.
“We want this to be endorsed by University Senate and by the Graduate Student Senate... The other step is to bring the legislation along with Lauren [Oldziej, CLAS Senator and coauthor of the bill] and myself and undocumented student to meetings with President Herbst, to meetings with the police, to meetings with the Dean of Students, with admissions,” Byrd said.
Byrd said the bill’s passage is a building block for further action.
“It goes beyond just passing this. We now have to have the conversation,” Byrd said.
Undergraduate Student Government voted Wednesday night to work toward establishing the University of Connecticut as a sanctuary city, meaning the university would not cooperate with federal law if deportations of undocumented students occurred.
The issue of deportation has been widely discussed both at the university and at the national level since Donald Trump won the presidential election on Nov. 8. Deportations of undocumented immigrants was one of the major promises of his campaign.
Several students attended the undergraduate student senate meeting to speak on the legislation, including undocumented immigrants who helped organize a rally on campus in response to the presidential election last Wednesday.
“I do not want to hear a comment saying that we’re stealing jobs or we are receiving benefits and this and that but the reality is that we don’t get any of those things. We have never received government help or social benefits,” Joseline Tlacomulco, an undocumented student activist, said.
USG President Dan Byrd, who co-authored the bill, said the next step is gaining more student support and meeting with administration and bringing the idea of a sanctuary city to their attention.
“We want this to be endorsed by University Senate and by the Graduate Student Senate... The other step is to bring the legislation along with Lauren [Oldziej, CLAS Senator and coauthor of the bill] and myself and undocumented student to meetings with President Herbst, to meetings with the police, to meetings with the Dean of Students, with admissions,” Byrd said.
Byrd said the bill’s passage is a building block for further action.
“It goes beyond just passing this. We now have to have the conversation,” Byrd said.
