One hundred days into President Donald Trump’s second term, his abhorrent, hardline immigration policies resulted in 36 UC San Diego students having their visas suddenly revoked in early April. Though all were later reinstated, Trump’s fascist policies have created a constant state of fear for immigrants and political activists. This authoritarian and unstable political environment highlights how little the Trump administration cares about due process, posing a direct threat to UCSD students.
However, months into Trump’s second term, our elected representatives in the Associated Student Senate have yet to acknowledge the real threat that so many students face, much less pass substantial policy changes to assist students caught up in immigration crackdowns.
Wielding a multi-million dollar budget, the A.S. Senate serves an important role in “promoting student engagement” through “leadership, advocacy, and service” by funding student organizations and providing student services. A.S. is funded through tuition and student fees, the latter of which averages about $90 per student annually. Beyond event planning and distributing basic necessities, A.S.’s advocacy serves as an important reflection of student protest and activism. For example, during last year’s Gaza Solidarity Encampment, A.S. passed multiple resolutions affirming its commitment to divest from organizations complicit in the ongoing genocide in Palestine.
This year, however, A.S. has yet to take similar political actions. Four months into Trump’s second term, the organization has failed to comfort the anxieties of non-citizen students — its social media pages do not mention the issue at all. The silence suggests that UCSD’s non-citizen students and staff are not a priority for A.S., despite our proximity to the border and the terrifying political reality we face. A few weeks ago, a UCSD student was deported at the border and 35 others had their visas revoked. Yet, A.S. failed to provide reassurance or a resolution acknowledging Trump’s crackdown on non-citizen and politically active students. With multiple resolutions passed in support of the encampment last year, questions should be raised as to why student leaders have become so quiet.
By staying silent now, A.S. is usurping a crucial opportunity to take defensive measures on behalf of the student body. The 20% turnout in this year’s student election — the highest figure since the pandemic — suggests that an increasing proportion of students care about how their money is being spent. A.S. could take advantage of this interest by reminding students of their rights and taking a stance against immigration authorities terrorizing our campus. Clearly highlighting where students can receive help, providing legal guidelines for interacting with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and encouraging students to be careful when entering the country could prevent unnecessary detention for the thousands of permanent resident and non-citizen students. When due process is completely ignored, even citizens are not immune from detention and deportation. One example is a recent case where, despite being American citizens, three children with cancer were deported. For students who are citizens, understanding their rights and having immediate access to a birth certificate or passport could prevent mistaken detention. Considering the many students who will travel internationally this summer, A.S. should remind students to remove content on their devices criticizing the Trump administration. A.S., with its considerable resources and influence, should be the one leading this effort. Yet, none of these simple, actionable steps have been taken by A.S.
When Rümeysa Öztürk’s op-ed in Tufts University’s student newspaper resulted in her visa cancellation and subsequent kidnapping by ICE, I was anxious about something similar occurring to me or my fellow writers for The UCSD Guardian. Although Öztürk was recently released, there is no guarantee that similar operations will not occur. If militarized police detaining students on Library Walk was a reality under the Biden administration, it is not a stretch to suggest that immigration enforcement would do the same, or worse, under Trump. A.S. needs to wake up to a reality where ICE on campus is not only possible, but probable. Actively preparing the student body should be its top priority.
If red tape truly prevents a multi-million dollar budget from being spent to help UCSD’s most vulnerable students, then we should call the A.S. Senate what it effectively is: a glorified party planning committee. Although other groups on campus like the Students Civil Liberties Union are advocating for students by offering resources and services, it should be the job of representatives with electoral legitimacy to help ensure the basic safety of students. For the rest of Trump’s second term, to avoid a legacy of acquiescence, A.S. needs to actually voice its concerns, fund new initiatives to protect students, and instill confidence in the student body by reminding them of their right to protest.
