Getting a higher education means a lot to Paul, a college student without an immigration status in Oregon. OPB is using a nickname to protect this student’s identity.

“It’s important to be a good citizen, to show that we’re good people, to learn our rights, among many other things,” said Paul through an interpreter.

So far he’s taken English classes and he eventually hopes to study environmental science. But since the threat of federal immigration officials coming onto campus has become a very real possibility, his education goals are paused.

“With this administration, I feel none of us are safe,” he said. “They are violating our rights, our human rights.”

On his first full day in office, President Donald Trump rescinded a policy, expanded under President Biden, that prevented U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal agents from carrying out immigration raids in sensitive areas. The new Trump directive opens up places like public schools, colleges and universities, hospitals and churches to immigration enforcement.

On Jan. 20, 2025, Trump laid out his reasoning for rescinding the Biden-era protections in an executive order titled “Protecting the American people against invasion.” Trump argued in the order that recent immigrants posed “significant threats to national security and public safety,” and that the new policy would “ensure the federal government protects the American people.”

Leaders from Oregon’s higher education institutions that OPB spoke to say they aren’t just standing idly by. Community colleges and universities are preparing faculty, staff and students on how to respond to federal immigration agents, with the hope of slowing down enforcement actions.

In 2021, there were more than 400,000 undocumented students enrolled in colleges or universities throughout the U.S., according to an analysis from the nonprofit President’s Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration. Nearly half of these students are Hispanic. Oregon’s share of the nation’s total undocumented college students was 1.7%, or about 7,000 students.

The immigration status of individual higher education students is protected under federal law. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, or FERPA, prevents federal agents from obtaining this type of sensitive information without consent from the student, or through a subpoena or a warrant.

Students attending public higher education institutions in Oregon also have additional protections under the state’s sanctuary law. The law bars state and local authorities, as well as employees from public bodies, from assisting in federal immigration enforcement efforts without a judicial warrant.

But even with these protections the fear of ICE agents coming onto campus is palpable.

“We cannot know for sure what will or will not happen, but it’s heightened right now,” said Dominique Vargas, Western Oregon University’s diversity, equity and inclusion director. “Given the most recent [White House] actions, people want to feel prepared.”

Nearly a quarter of Western’s student population identifies as Latinx.

At the request of faculty and students, Western held a “Know your Rights” session for its campus community last week. This type of training educates communities on their constitutional rights when interacting with federal immigration agents, including the right to remain silent, the right to not identify yourself and the right to not reveal your citizenship status.

“While it may not make anyone feel immediately more safe, we do know that knowledge is power,” said Vargas. “We have to inform our community and inform our students so that they know what they can do.”

Knowing what to say or do in an ICE encounter can make the difference between detainment and freedom for undocumented individuals.

Many federal immigration officials bank on the fact that a lot of undocumented people aren’t aware of their rights and might feel intimidated by ICE agents, said Willamette University law professor and Immigration Clinic Director Beth Zilberman.

“Fear is part of the game, trying to make people scared,” said Zilberman. “The more we can do to make people understand what their rights are and feel like they still belong in their communities and their homes, that’s the most important thing.”

Employees at Oregon’s higher education institutions can also significantly stall immigration enforcement by understanding the rights of students without an immigration status. That includes knowing the difference between an administrative warrant and a judicial warrant. These two documents are easily conflated, said Zilberman. But only a judicial warrant allows federal agents into non-public spaces, like a dorm room.

“If ICE shows up at a school or at a workplace, it’s usually because they want to detain an individual,” said Zilberman. “If [faculty] understands the difference between the judicial and administrative warrant they have the right to tell ICE not to come in.”

Zilberman said it’s important for undocumented college students to be aware of the support provided by their institutions.

Over the past month, many universities and community colleges in Oregon have been updating their websites to include local legal resources for immigrant communities. And presidents from several institutions have sent out messages affirming previous commitments to support undocumented students.

The state’s largest higher education institution, Portland Community College, has never had federal immigration agents on its campus, said PCC Interim Vice President of Student Affairs Vicky López Sánchez.

According to PCC’s sanctuary campus procedures, López Sánchez is the first person to be notified if ICE agents do show up. In that case she’ll ensure all federal and state laws are followed.

“I would notify PCC’s public safety officers that ICE is on campus, but they do not and will not enforce federal immigration laws, as they don’t have the legal authority to do so,” said López Sánchez. “Instead, they’re gonna continue to remain committed to ensuring PCC is a safe environment for everyone.”

But she recognizes that there are limits to the protections institutions can provide for their students. If federal agents do arrive with a verified judicial warrant, for example, PCC would be held to legal obligations.

“We’re doing everything that we can to ensure the safety of our students so they can continue to receive an education,” said López Sánchez. “But students really need to identify what is really important for themselves and their families and make decisions based on that because while we want to ensure safety, we can’t guarantee it.”

A chilling effect could already be happening at PCC. López Sánchez said some faculty have noticed a drop in attendance since November.

Adding to the pressure facing staff at colleges and universities is a directive Trump issued Jan. 22, threatening to arrest people who interfere with ICE actions. But leaders in cities governed by sanctuary laws, like Portland Mayor Keith Wilson and Chief of Police Bob Day are pledging to follow state and local laws protecting people regardless of their immigration status.

So far, there have been no known immigration raids that have occurred at K-12 schools or on college campuses throughout the U.S.

Even so, undocumented college students may feel their best option at this moment is to stay out of the classroom.

“I’m very frightened. They’re looking for us as criminals, even in the high schools,” said Paul. “It appears to me like the government is taking away the right to get an education.”

News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2025/02/05/staff-students-oregon-colleges-universities-immigration-raids-enforcement/