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THE OFFICIAL STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF INDIANAPOLIS • FOUNDED 1922 VOL.
103 I S S UE 9
reflector.uindy.edu
FEBRUARY 26, 2025
ICE at UIndy: What to know By Olivia Pastrick
MANAGING EDITOR & CO-NEWS EDITOR An executive order signed Jan. 20 by President Donald Trump states it is the policy of the United States to execute its immigration laws against all “inadmissible and removable aliens.” According to the order, the Biden-Harris administration “invited,administered and oversaw” an unprecedented number of illegal immigrants entering the country. Trump has made immigration one of the focal points of his administration since his campaign and has followed through with actions such as the “Protecting the American People Against Invasion” executive order. UIndy Chief of Police and Director of Public Safety Brandon Pate said any officer would need a warrant to arrest someone, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has already stated it will be prioritizing the arrests of undocumented people with a criminal background.Additionally, he said one of the most important things to know about ICE “raids” is that an individual’s rights do not change in the presence of law enforcement officers. “There's no pause on your rights, and there's no restriction of your rights,” Pate said. “If they're going to ask you questions, they need a reason to be doing so, and if they're going to detain you, they have to have a warrant to detain you. But they're not going to come do that and bypass our police department or bypass our General Counsel.” Section five of the order states that the Attorney General must prioritize the prosecution of criminal offenses related to
unauthorized immigration into the U.S. According to ICE, approximately 25% of the people they removed from the U.S. had an existing criminal charge against them, and an additional 7.5% had pending charges. Acting Secretar y of the Department of Homeland Security Benjamine Huffman issued a directive Jan. 21 that allows ICE and Customs and Border Patrol to make arrests in formerly designated “sensitive locations”such as schools and churches, according to AP News. Although this overturns guidance ICE and CBP have given as far back as 2011 and 2013 about immigration enforcement, the DHS said in a statement that this
... Law enforcement can't just come up to you and ask your immigration status." action “empowers the brave men and women in CBP and ICE to enforce our immigration laws and catch criminal aliens …,”according to AP News. The National Immigration Law Center says immigration agents are only allowed to enter a private area if they have a judicial warrant that has been signed by a judge or they are given permission to. Pate said private spaces on campus include dorm buildings, but immigration agents, like anyone, could enter public spaces like Krannert Memorial Library. Although ICE or CBP could enter a public space, the National Immigration Law Center says that does not give them the authority
to stop, question or arrest anyone without a warrant. “That’s been the case and will always be the case, that law enforcement can't just come up to you and ask you your immigration status,” Pate said. “This process has always existed ….” In addition to ICE or CBP being present in public spaces, Pate pointed out that ICE interacts with the University of Indianapolis regularly to review records regarding visas for international students, faculty and staff. In an email sent to faculty, UIPD said its officers would only assist ICE officers in enforcing a valid criminal warrant. Pate said if an officer had a warrant for someone at UIndy they would have to go through the police department directly. He said anyone who may encounter ICE officers at UIndy should immediately call him or UIndy’s general counsel, Cyndi Carrasco. “We benefit greatly f rom the fact that we have a police department in the university,” Pate said.“Their first stop is always going to be to my office, they’re going to come and say, ‘Hey, we've got this warrant, or we have this concern, we need to check out this person, or we believe this person may be here.’ If someone from federal law enforcement were to just come on campus and say,‘Hey, we're looking for XYZ,’ they need to be directed back to the police department or to our General Counsel.” Anyone who sees or interacts with ICE on UIndy’s campus should call Pate at 317-788-3386 or UIndy’s General Counsel Cyndi Carrasco at 317-791-5611. Pate said people can also make reports on the Rave Guardian app, which UIPD has recently started using as an alternate means to contact them 24/7 for non-emergency situations.
Photo by Allison Cook
A protestor stands in the rain with a sign against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement during an organized protest by PSL Indianapolis Feb. 8, 2025.
Graphic by Olivia Pastrick
Celebrating Black History UIndy hosts Black History Month events to amplify, celebrate & uplift Black voices By Ella Harner STAFF WRITER
Photo by Allison Dininger
UIndy junior Florence Lee reads her poem at the Mad Love Poetry Slam on Feb. 13, 2025. The event was one of the ways UIndy celebrated Black History Month.
February is Black History Month in the United States, giving everyone an opportunity for celebration and education. Black History Month has been officially recognized since 1976, although Americans have been celebrating Black history in February since 1925, according to Black History M on t h . Ac c o rd i n g t o t h e Association for the Study of Af rican American Life and history, Black History Month highlights achievements, contributions and history of Black people each year by following a different theme. The theme for 2025 is African Americans and Labor, which reflects on Blac k people ’s work throughout history and gives people an opportunity to learn and appreciate their contributions and struggles. Throughout this month the University of Indianapolis’ Office of Inclusive Excellence and Retention Strategy hosted four events to celebrate Black
history. According to an email sent by Student Affairs, OIE h o s t e d B a r b e r s h o p Ta l k , Anthony Davis’ Concert Series, Mad Love Poetry Slam and the Black Excellence Dinner. These events, according to OIE’s Instagram, aimed to uplift and amplify Black voices during Black History Month. People can also use this month to honor the impact of African Americans across the nation, according to Histor y.com. According to Visit Indy, many of these contributions come f rom people in Indianapolis such as Mur vin S. Enders, a c i v i c l e ad e r a n d U I n d y alumni, who the university’s Student Engagement Space is named after, according to UIndy’s website. The Student Engagement Space, among many other places on campus, i s s e t t o p ro v i d e s u p p o r t for belonging and inclusion, according to UIndy’s website. Black History Month can be celebrated in many different w ay s f rom a r t a n d mu s i c to education. Sophomore criminal justice major Lavita Johnson has grown up learning
about Black History through celebration with her family. “Black History, specifically for my family, is a month of celebration for not only just us now, but our ancestors and our rich history and culture,” Johnson said. “My family takes Black History very seriously. I've been raised on a lot of books and my sister's really interested in all the hidden history that we don't learn in college or in school and stuff, so Black History to us is something that's really deep. I mean, it's us, literally.” Sophomore political science major Clint Simmons believes Black History Month is a time for opening your eyes to Black History outside of the United States. For Simmons, it is a time for learning about all different Black cultures and beating societal norms. “We're showing that there's more to it, the complex history that Black people have in America and even in other places,” Simmons said. Black History Month is a time for celebration, awareness > See BHM on Page 3