Dear Colleagues,

given the recent actions by the Trump Administration regarding changes to how Federal immigration enforcement (ICE) agents may conduct their duties, in particular the change that college campuses are no longer designated as a “sensitive area”, members have approached the Faculty Federation asking what actions they should  take if someone from ICE or a surrogate agency approaches them on campus requesting information about students and/or University employees. 

In light of Massachusetts US Attorney Foley’s vow yesterday to arrest anyone if they “obstruct” efforts to arrest undocumented immigrants, the leadership of the Faculty Federation and ESU believe that it is critically important for faculty and staff to be given clear guidance now in the event that Federal or State law enforcement officers come onto the UMass Dartmouth campus.  Attached is general guidance for Colleges & Universities coming from the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office. Also included is specific advice for the UMass campuses provided by the Office of General Counsel in the UMass President’s Office. People should make themselves aware of how they should respond to requests made by immigration agents. We are hoping that more specific guidance will be forthcoming from Chancellor Fuller in the near future.

The Faculty Federation continues to be in dialogue with our union partners at the other UMass campuses, and with AFT leadership at the state and national levels on this matter, and on the other actions being taken by the Trump Administration involving the distribution of federal funding (grants & awards) that might impact staff on campus as well as researchers and their graduate students, and, most recently, the future of the Department of Education.  The Faculty Federation will keep it’s membership informed on these and other issues as best we can given the rapidly changing situation before us.

In Solidarity!