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T h e I n d e p e n d e n t S t u d e n t N e w s p a p e r o f B r a n d e is U n i v e r sit y S i n c e 1 9 4 9 Volume LXXVII, Number 14
Tuesday, March 4, 2025
Waltham, Mass.
MEMORIES
FUNDING FREEZE
Brandeis hosts Susan Church “Know Your Rights” presentation ■ The Chief Operating Officer for the
Office for Refugees and Immigrants shared information and resources related to immigrant and refugee rights with the Brandeis community. By LIN LIN HUTCHINSON JUSTICE EDITOR
Since President Donald Trump took office on Jan. 20, his administration has introduced a slew of changes to immigration policies, many of which have instilled fear and led to questions surrounding immigrant rights. “It's important to understand … that everybody has a right to privacy in their home; in their dorm room; if you live in a group shelter; if you live in an apartment with four other roommates,” assured the Chief Operating Officer for the Office for Refugees and Immigrants for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Susan Church, J.D. during a Feb. 25 “Know Your Rights” webinar. “Your home is protected by the Constitution of the United States, the Constitution of Massachusetts and a particular law in Massachusetts called Commonwealth V. Lunn.” The presentation, hosted by the Division of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging, focused on immigrant and refugee rights amidst recent changes and enforcement of federal immigration policies aimed at tightening the border and removing undocumented immigrants. Attendees received an overview of legal resources available to immigrants in the Commonwealth, provided know-your-rights resources and were given guidance on how to interact with immigration and law enforcement officials. Church began the webinar by defining the different agencies under the Department of Homeland Security that are involved with immigration. Within DHS, there is the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, which adjudicates petitions for immigration benefits (asylum, Green cards, citizenship, special visas); U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which enforces immigration laws at ports of entry and between ports; and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, who represent DHS in immigration proceedings including investigations, detention and removal. The decision to open the door for ICE is a personal choice, and Church advised that decision be made in consultation with a lawyer, as “different people have different consequences.” To illustrate the range of cases, Church provided a hypothetical example where individuals may want to open the door to an ICE agent, including instances where the individual has been in the country for 15 to 20 years without documentation. If they were to go to immigration court, they might not face any severe consequences because of their long-term residence and lack of any significant criminal history. Additionally, they could potentially apply for a green card based on their long-standing residence and the hardship they would face if deported. In such cases, the person may want to consult with a lawyer and decide to open the door, as going to court might offer an opportunity to resolve their status and finally end their undocumented situation. On the other hand, if someone chooses not to open the door, they could be arrested by ICE a few days later outside of the home. ICE could then argue that the individual is a flight risk and should be detained. There are also situations where, if someone opens the door, they might never even see a judge because they have a removal order or are detained under mandatory detention due to a criminal charge or fraud. In these cases, the person may face immediate consequences. Additionally, Church warned that if the door is open, anyone visible to ICE officials who is also undocumented can be subject to arrest.
If an ICE agent shows up at the door, anyone may ask the officers to identify themselves — agency, name, identification document — ask if they have a warrant signed by a judge and ask to see that warrant. In the state of Massachusetts, as a result of Commonwealth v. Lunn, ICE warrants are “not valid” nor do they grant access to homes, Church said, as they are not judicial warrants and instead are administrative orders. “A judicial warrant is a warrant signed by a judge issued by a court and based on probable cause and that probable cause was determined by a neutral arbiter,” Church clarified. To identify a court warrant, check if the warrant has come from a court and if it bears a signature from a federal judge, Church instructed. “ICE doesn’t have a court that issues warrants,” Church said. Additionally, federal warrants may also say “search and seizure” while ICE issues arrest warrants. “It's really important to read these,” Church added, as they may look very similar. She adds that if the official at the door shows a legitimate judicial warrant, then the individual who the warrant is served to is legally obligated to comply with the document, or risk being charged with obstruction of justice. Besides requesting the officers to identify themselves and to show the warrant, every individual, regardless of their situation, has the right to remain silent and ask for an attorney. Church said if you choose to invoke that right, you should state to the officer “I request my right to silence and to an attorney.” Another way to assert these rights is to slide a “Know Your Rights” card under the door. These cards can be printed out on the Massachusetts Immigrant & Refugee Advocacy Coalition website. At Brandeis, Chief of Police Matthew Rushton published a Feb. 2 memorandum, informing the Brandeis community of the Department of Public Safety’s commitment to non-participation in immigration enforcement. The memorandum outlines the department's stance: "Non-Detention: We will not detain or question individuals solely based on their immigration status," and "Non-Cooperation: We will not collaborate with ICE in efforts to enforce federal immigration laws." Additionally, in his letter, Rushton states “ICE agents are not permitted to enter non-public areas of our campus, such as dormitories, offices, and classrooms, without a valid judicial warrant signed by a judge. Administrative warrants issued by ICE do not grant authorization to access these areas.” The department also shared its commitment to safeguarding personal information. “Any request from ICE for information about a student or staff member will be referred to the Office of General Counsel. We will ensure that any disclosure complies with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act and other applicable privacy laws,” the memorandum states. Echoing the same legal framework that Church discussed, the Department of Public Safety’s policies “align with guidance from the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office and the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court’s decision in Lunn v. Commonwealth, which prohibits law enforcement from detaining individuals solely based on federal civil immigration detainers.” Next in the presentation, Church noted that some individuals who have been detained by ICE and are going to immigration court can request a bond, which is similar to a bail. This process requires the individual to show they are not a flight risk or a danger to the community. According to Church, if there is no history of criminal activity that person can be deemed as not a risk to the community. However, to not be considered a flight risk requires a little more work. The individual would be required to show strong family and community ties. Church advised anyone undocumented to create a folder that has material showing their strong family and community ties. That could include evidence of being a college student — transcripts, letters of recommendation, resumes or material showing commitment
Brandeis threatened by federal budget cuts ■ Proposed budget cuts by the
federal government could impact vital scientific research across Brandeis science departments. By JUSTIN RUBENSTEIN
JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Since President Donald Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20, the Trump administration and Elon Musk, head of the Department of Government Efficiency, have been on a crusade to find “waste” within the government. This “waste” includes the National Institutes of Health, which fund medical research at various institutions, including research at universities, medical schools and hospitals, among others. The NIH funds projects such as the development of messenger ribonucleic acid vaccines, cancer research and research of other diseases. Overall, the NIH provides $35 billion to fund 50 thousand projects, supporting 300 thousand researchers at 2,500 institutions. These funds include $25 billion to fund research and $9 billion
Local artists share how street art and murals tell the stories of the community. By HEDY YANG
■ President Levine addresses the
housing crisis, police brutality, ICE threats, the Jewish Bund, job crisis, DEI cuts and plans for Brandeis’s future. By ANNALIESE MERRITT
JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER
On Tuesday, Feb. 25, Interim President Arthur Levine '70 held a town hall to discuss his plans for the University. With approximately 40 students present, the town hall began with the Brandeis Jewish Bund handing a copy of their list of demands to Levine — originally shared during a Feb. 5 vigil — and shaking his hand. The President pocketed the paper without reading it and began the meeting. A request was made that no recordings be taken of the event to honor students' privacy. Levine began with a short speech addressing his time at the University so far, executive orders made by President Trump, budget cuts and more. He expressed his love for the University. In his first three months he has met hundreds
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of students, staff and faculty, surveying people at the dining halls about the change they want to see. He mentioned a want for more student activities and more “fun” at Brandeis. Levine addressed Trump’s campaign to ban diversity, equity and inclusion policies by reassuring students that Brandeis is committed to preserving DEI in its curiculum and values. Levine asserted that Brandeis exists as a college because of such policies, even before they were called DEI. He predicted that President Trump’s cuts in overhead rates, a new law under the Trump administration that limits the funding that universities can use towards the costs of maintaining their campuses, won’t impact Brandeis after the case is heard in court. In discussing immigration, Levine asserted that Brandeis’ job is to support and protect international students and their families in any way possible. Levine described the job outlined for him by the Board of Trustees in three points: developing a path for the next decade and beyond, developing a job description for his successor and helping to choose his successor. He asserted that these tasks would be impossible without the support of students. Levine declared that Brandeis needs to stop performing budget cuts, as rather than having
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FEATURES 6
to fund indirect costs that are essential to the functioning of research, such as “buildings, utilities, and support staff.” Early into his second term, Trump has paused the funding process for “16,000 grant applications vying for around $1.5 billion in NIH funding.” This decision may have implications here at Brandeis. On Feb. 10 Brandeis joined more than 20 top universities in filing a lawsuit against the Department of Health & Human Services and the NIH. The suit challenges what it describes as “a flagrantly unlawful action by the National Institutes of Health (“NIH”) and the Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) that, if allowed to stand, will devastate medical research at America’s universities.” At the start of the administration, Trump and his allies proposed cutting some of this funding as a measure against Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, which is a set of programs across the government and private sectors that try to recruit equally qualified candidates from underrepresented backgrounds. The Republican party argues that these programs provide unequal representation, calling it “reverse discrimination.”
President Levine responds to concerns
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Street art
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SCIENCE: The Shapiro Science Center is a hub for research on campus.
ARTS AND CULTURE 15
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NEWS 3
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