AACC President Dawn Lindsay in February told faculty and staff to call the campus police if they encounter Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, officers on campus.
Echoing similar guidance from Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown, Lindsay’s email to employees urged those working on campus to neither “resist” or “respond,” but instead “refer” to police, who will contact the college’s attorney to determine the next steps to take.
“It is important to remember that ICE is a federal law enforcement agency subject to federal law and the Constitution of the United States,” Lindsay said in the email. “And ICE officials are required to respect and abide by the constitutional rights of all students and employees.”
In turn, she wrote, “All employees should treat ICE officials politely and respectfully.”
President Donald Trump issued an executive order in January that overturned a long-standing practice designating schools, hospitals and churches as “protected” or “sensitive” spaces where federal immigration officers were not allowed to arrest migrants.
Lindsay said the college is not aware of any government plans to send immigration officers to AACC campuses.
AACC has not put out guidelines for students who encounter ICE officers, but Vice President for Learner Support Services Felicia Patterson, in a campus-wide email, encouraged students concerned about the president’s order to contact community organizations, like the American Civil Liberties Union, Casa of Maryland, Immigrant Legal Resource Center and the Anne Arundel County Office of Hispanic and Multicultural Affairs.
Lindsay encouraged faculty and staff to redirect ICE officials to a public space, like a lobby or a foyer. Immigration officers and federal employees should not be allowed in non-public spaces such as private offices or classes in session, the memo said.
Faculty should not offer ICE any information about individual students or employees, Lindsay’s memo said.
AACC’s website includes a page titled, “Immigration Frequently Asked Questions.”
What should students do?
Some students have taken it upon themselves to educate each other about immigrant rights.
Harry Ledford, a first-year social work student, has been handing out printed cards around campus with wording in English and Spanish for students to use if they come in contact with an ICE official.
Ledford’s father, a speech writer for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, designed the cards.
“I just want everyone to be safe,” Ledford said.
The Spanish-language side of the card reminds students that they have a right to be silent, a legal principle that guarantees individuals the right to refuse to answer questions from law enforcement or court officials.
