If you ever want to know why the students at Columbia University are so radical, look no further than the administration and professors who are just as Marxist as their students. For example, the university has an official protocol advising students and staff on how to thwart ICE efforts, which could potentially be illegal if put into practice.
It is, in fact, against federal law actively to interfere with or block federal immigration enforcement. Columbia University’s Public Safety on its website even goes so far as to counsel staff and students to demand many personal details from ICE officers and refuse service of a legal subpoena or warrant. This university should not be receiving any federal funds until and unless it agrees to stop advising those affiliated with the university to defy the law.
First of all, before diving into the shocking propaganda from Columbia, it is important to emphasize that ICE does not, in fact, need a warrant to detain and/or arrest anyone even suspected of being an illegal alien. This is important information that Columbia leaves out — on purpose. Not only that, but ICE agents cannot even show warrants when they do have them to those not directly involved/named in the enforcement activity.
Again, that is important context which Columbia leaves out when it pontificates: “In general, ICE agents must have a judicial warrant or subpoena to access non-public areas (areas not open to the public such as classrooms, housing, and areas requiring CUID).” But even the university has to admit that there are cases where federal law enforcement is absolutely allowed to access buildings on campus without warrants. In which case, Columbia advises anyone who wants to put a spoke in ICE’s wheel to contact Columbia’s Public Safety team and take notes on enforcement activities:
Exigent circumstances (for example, the risk of imminent harm to people or property) may allow for access to University buildings or people without consent or a warrant. Faculty/staff should not interfere and should immediately contact Public Safety as described below. Faculty/staff should document the activities they observe, if possible without obstructing the agents.
Areas open to the general public are similarly accessible to ICE agents, and they may enter without a warrant.
Supposing ICE agents request information on an individual or try to enter buildings that are considered non-public, Columbia Public Safety tells people to ask for credentials, including the names, badge numbers, and legal documents of the agents. As noted above, ICE does not have to provide any of those details. Indeed, they can and have been used to dox agents.
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Columbia University also provides more advice, which just might violate federal law on interfering with immigration enforcement:
Ask them to wait. Ask the agents to wait to enter any non-public areas until contacting Public Safety at the numbers below. Public Safety will contact the Office of the General Counsel and will help coordinate the University’s response.
It is preferable for faculty/staff to first call Public Safety directly. If this is not possible based on the circumstances, faculty/staff may connect an ICE agent directly to Public Safety.
Do not accept service of a warrant or subpoena.
In response to questions or the attempted service of a warrant or subpoena, you can say: “I am not authorized by the University to grant permission to enter non-public areas, provide information about individual students or employees, or accept service of documentation on behalf of the University,” then refer the agents to Public Safety and the Office of the General Counsel.
In conclusion, Columbia Public Safety again encourages anyone who observes ICE agents engaging in enforcement activities to contact them.
8 U.S. Code § 1324 condemns anyone who “knowing or in reckless disregard of the fact that an alien has come to, entered, or remains in the United States in violation of law, conceals, harbors, or shields from detection, or attempts to conceal, harbor, or shield from detection, such alien in any place, including any building or any means of transportation.” 18 U.S. Code § 111 states that anyone who “forcibly assaults, resists, opposes, impedes, intimidates, or interferes with any person designated in section 1114 of this title while engaged in or on account of the performance of official duties” can be charged.
Not a single dime of taxpayer money should be going to the pernicious propaganda factory known as Columbia University.
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