A job fair at Duke University late last month included representatives from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, aka ICE, leading “some students'” to worry about “the comfort and perceived safety of undocumented community members.”
Student groups including Mi Gente, Duke Africa, Duke Students for Justice in Palestine and the Duke Muslim Students Association all stood in agreement with Duke Beyond Borders’ statement against ICE’s presence at the OneDuke All Industry Career Fair, The Chronicle reports.
“Allowing ICE on campus is […] an utter contradiction of Duke’s values,” the Beyond Borders statement read. It also alleged ICE racially profiles individuals, “detains” U.S. citizens, and “denies individuals’ rights to a fair trial.”
Beyond Borders further called the university’s decision to allow the ICE recruiters on campus “disappointing” and a “societal attack against our humanity.”
Senior Ana Young said “I think it’s really scary for a lot of undocumented students,” while sophomore Susannah Braswell said ICE being around was “anxiety producing” and “uncomfortable for a lot of the student body and the Duke staff.”
Some students at the fair got pamphlets urging them to “avoid and reject for the well-being of our communities at Duke and beyond” not only ICE but the U.S. Navy and North Carolina Dept. of Public Safety’s Division of Juvenile Justice.
A Duke Student Affairs website noted by The Chronicle says the university “welcomes applications from undocumented and DACA students,” and “uses the same ‘need-blind’ process as applicants who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents.”
Duke’s Academic Opportunities for Undocumented Students page states students in the country illegally “deal with academic, social, and emotional challenges unique to their situation.” As such, learning consultants, a peer tutoring program, and resources for ADHD — Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder — are available to them.
The Chronicle notes ICE has a 54 percent unfavorability rating among the American public; however, that figure is from a 2019 poll. An Economist/YouGov survey from the beginning of this month shows 53 percent view Immigration and Customs Enforcement favorably.
MORE: Loyola students panic, confuse census taker with ICE agent
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