In light of the recent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s raids on New York City public schools, CUNY Chancellor Félix Matos Rodríguez sent out an email on Jan. 31 that welcomed students to the spring 2025 semester and provided resources for immigrant and undocumented students. This email is a step in the right direction in establishing CUNY’s stance on protecting immigrant and undocumented students.
The email stated that CUNY would follow the New York State Guidance on Safeguarding the Rights of Immigrant Students. Section three of the guidance specifies that civil arrest by federal immigration personnel can only occur within state facilities and “when accompanied by a judicial warrant or order authorizing the custody.”
The guidance also lists steps for school personnel to follow when presented with a warrant to detain a student — such as providing the superintendent and school district attorney with the warrant — and includes certain documentation forms the warrant may take.
In addition, according to the CUNY Office of Undocumented and Immigrant Student Programs, CUNY will not share student records without a warrant, nor will it track students’ immigration statuses.
Despite the email, the support for undocumented and immigrant students is expected of CUNY due to the university’s high population of students from minority backgrounds. 34% of CUNY students were born outside of the U.S mainland, according to CUNY enrollment data from 2022.
CUNY should consider having detailed, explicit strategies to address ICE raids on its campuses and instruct both faculty and staff, including campus security personnel, on how to differentiate between warrants, as well as outline what faculty can and cannot do to prevent ICE from entering classrooms.
The need for these strategies is especially heightened after New York City Mayor Eric Adams sent out a memo on Jan. 13 to city employees that allows ICE to search for undocumented immigrants on the city’s property without search warrants if employees “reasonably feel threatened” by ICE.
It is imperative that CUNY continues to provide resources to protect its immigrant and undocumented students as it continues to fulfill its mission to provide high-quality education to all students regardless of their background.
