DIVERSE ISSUES IN HIGHER EDUCATION -- Emil Guillermo, a journalist and commentator, writes for the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund. He is an adjunct professor in Journalism at San Francisco State University. He wrote this opinion piece for Diverse Issues in Higher Education.
“True, the [University of Farmington] scam was set up during the Obama years. But things didn’t get nasty until the Trump administration.
“The Obama administration generally worked through jails and prisons to focus on the bad immigrants. The Trump administration, however, has been more into large scale local raids and sweeps, unsettling those living their quiet lives as tax-paying members of their respective communities. They were people who may not have been documented, but they were productive and law abiding who wanted to be a part of our nation. Instead of finding a way to allow them to live their lives, most were put through a torturous separation process and deported.
“The Trump approach has led to cities and states establishing sanctuary laws, which does not prevent ICE from doing its job. It only makes sure local and state enforcement stay in their own lanes with their activities and resources. Sanctuary is intended to make sure the locals keep their eyes on their own work. They have enough problems of their own than to do ICE’s job. Surely, ICE’s presence ICE doesn’t help local law enforcement (and I include campus police). ICE only creates a level of distrust, and then no law enforcement agency can do its job. Who in the community would call in a crime if they feared campus police would turn them in to ICE?”