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Dozens of students held up signs that read \u201cwe don\u2019t need words, we need action\u201d while voicing criticisms of the university\u2019s immigrant protections during public comment at an Associated Students meeting last Wednesday.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
The majority of the students that commented at the meeting belong to Movimiento Estudiantil Chicanx de Aztl\u00e1n (M.E.Ch.A.), a student-run organization that is known<\/a> \u201cto advocate for higher education, political consciousness and cultural awareness\u201d and Chicanx empowerment.<\/p>\n In the spring, A.S passed a resolution<\/a> declaring support for immigrant students and condemning federal immigration policies.\u00a0<\/p>\n Now, five months after A.S. adopted the resolution, students are claiming that more needs to be done by student leaders and the university.\u00a0<\/p>\n Marina \u201cMari\u201d Avila, M.E.Ch.A. co-chair, criticized an email President Adela de la Torre sent to students and staff approximately two hours before the council meeting. She said she was asked to provide her thoughts about a draft of the email, but was dissatisfied with the final draft that was ultimately sent.<\/p>\n Avila criticized the first sentence of the email that read: \u201cWe recognize that federal immigration activity in and around San Diego can be unsettling, painful and warrants our regular care and attention.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201c\u2018Can be unsettling?\u2019\u201d Avila said. \u201cThis is the opinion of someone who is only able to speak from a position of comfortable power. A comfortable position that is able to afford empathy when they feel like it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n The email also references State Bill 98<\/a>, a law passed last year that requires all California public schools to notify \u201cstudents, teachers, administrators and school personnel\u201d when immigration enforcement is on campus. The resolution passed by A.S. said that it calls on the university to go beyond the state standards when implementing a notification system.\u00a0<\/p>\n Information regarding immigration policy and enforcement under the Trump Administration is published to SDSU\u2019s website<\/a>. This includes the provisions outlined in SB 98.\u00a0<\/p>\n However, there is no mention on the website of a notification system to alert the campus community of the presence of on-campus immigration enforcement.\u00a0<\/p>\n The university acknowledged and stated it would comply with SB 98 in an email sent in January.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIn compliance with state law, if federal immigration enforcement activity is ever confirmed on campus, SDSU will quickly issue a campus-wide notification,\u201d the email said.\u00a0<\/p>\n A notification system remains to be published to the university\u2019s website, but hours before the Sept. 23 meeting took place, another email was sent by de la Torre to students and staff. It outlined that the notification of immigration enforcement on campus may come in the form of an SDSU Safe alert, an email or text message, or a web notice at urgent.sdsu.edu<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n