A student group active in the Minnesota State University (MSU) system is advising students about what to do if they are approached by an immigration agent.
Students United, an organization funded by student fees, sent an email to students after an international student attending MSU-Mankato was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) last month. That email included advice for non-U.S. and U.S. students on how to handle situations involving immigration issues.
“A week ago, a Minnesota State University-Mankato international student was detained by ICE at their off campus apartment,” says the email. “The student was in good academic standing with their university, and at the time of their detainment they had a valid student visa.”
The group also released a statement on its website, saying it “firmly opposes the unjust detention of international students.”
“All students, regardless of their immigration status, are afforded certain unalienable rights under the United States Constitution. We are deeply disturbed by the blatant infringement of international students’ rights,” the statement continued.
The group released a separate statement after five Mankato students reportedly had their “SEVIS records terminated by the federal government.” SEVIS stands for Student Exchange Visitor Information System.
After explaining that it would work to get more answers about the situation and other matters affecting international students, Students United said it “created a resource hub that will be continuously updated with resources regarding ICE, mental health resources, and legal support located in Minnesota.”
The group told students to “be aware of your schools [sic] policy regarding ICE on campus,” and cautioned students against “commenting directly with the media.”
“Get connected with your campus’ leadership and ask what they are doing to support international, immigrant, and undocumented students on campus,” the email said.
One resource linked in the email was a card that says “You have constitutional rights” and includes instructions on how to handle an encounter with an immigration agent. The card warned against opening doors for immigration agents or answering questions from those agents.
Additionally, the card instructs its holder to give the card to immigration agents if they are approached by said agents. The card includes the following statements:
- I do not wish to speak with you, answer your questions, or sign or hand any documents based on my 5th Amendment rights under the United States Constitution.
- I do not give you permission to enter my home based on my 4th Amendment rights under the United States Constitution unless you have a warrant to enter, signed by a judge or magistrate with my name on it that you slide under the door.
- I do not give you permission to search any of my belongings based on my 4th Amendment rights.
- I choose to exercise my constitutional rights.
The group said it has been “working to identify attorneys who can work pro bono (for free) for our students”
Alpha News reached out to Students United for comment. However, the organization did not respond.
A spokesman for MSU-Mankato told Alpha News that any law enforcement agency, including ICE, “can go in any open buildings or open areas that a member of the public can go in. ICE is governed by the same rules as other law enforcement agencies when it comes to search, seizure, and entering powers.”
Regarding MSU-Mankato’s student housing, the spokesperson explained that “residence halls are locked and not open to the public. Residents may have guests, and visitors must have permission to be in the residence communities.”
Alpha News previously reported on a situation where a Turkish student at the University of Minnesota was detained by ICE after being arrested for a DWI charge. The student signed a plea agreement during his DWI case with a provision stating, “I understand that if I am not a citizen of the United States, my plea of guilty may result in deportation.”
Students United is funded in part through student fees set forth by the Minnesota State Board of Trustees. “Students United serves over 65,000 students attending Minnesota’s seven state universities,” its website says.
The student group claims to speak on behalf of all MSU students and has advocated for left-wing causes such as Black Lives Matter, “Land Acknowledgement” practices, and the total abolition of all student loan debt, attorney James Dickey explained in a previous article for Alpha News.
Sarah Prentice
Sarah Prentice has previously written for Campus Reform and worked as an intern at Media Research Center. While continuing to pursue her degree in political science, she worked full-time in communications and media outreach for a pro-woman, pro-life non-profit. Now a fellow at Alpha News during her senior year of college, she hopes to graduate with her political science degree from SUNY Brockport and combine it with her media and communications experience to pursue political journalism. She has a special interest in reporting on stories related to social issues, education, public health, and religious freedom.
