The Lumberjack



Students Serving The Cal Poly Humboldt Campus and Community Since 1929

Tag: sanctuary

  • Possibility for a sanctuary county

    Possibility for a sanctuary county

    By | Iridian Casarez

    Kevin Martinez watched the crowd tentatively in front of the Humboldt County’s Courthouse waiting for ICE agents to come out of any corner to arrest undocumented people supporting the ordinance to make Humboldt County a sanctuary county.

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    Part of MEChA’s security team standing behind the speakers. Photo credit: Curran Daly

    “We are here to be the separation between the interaction between ICE and any undocumented person,” Martinez said. “We are essentially here to be arrested.”

    Centro de Pueblo organized the event and united community members to rally at City of Eureka’s Courthouse to support the drafted ordinance to make Humboldt County a sanctuary county on Tuesday Sept. 19. The rally was scheduled at the same time the Board of Supervisors were meeting.

    Erik Kirk helped Centro de Pueblo and True North submit a draft of the ordinance to the Human Rights Commission. The Human Rights Commission is a grand jury that focuses on civil liberties that makes recommendations to the Board of Supervisors.

    Kirk entered the Board of Supervisors meeting and spoke about the ordinance.

    “At least two of the Board Supervisors were taking it really seriously,” Kirk said.

    Centro de Pueblo is a local organization that offers a safe space to people of color in the community to advance culturally, politically, and practically on California’s North Coast.

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    People holding signs at the rally. Photo credit: Curran Daly

    Martinez is a senior Political Science major at HSU. He is also head of security for MEChA. Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan is a club on campus that promotes political involvement and change in their society.

    MEChA had security at the rally expecting ICE agents to arrive. Security was also there to stop agitated people from disrupting the rally.

    “It’s very important with me to come show my support for undocumented people,” Martinez said. “I hopefully want to think undocumented immigrants feel supported, empowered and encouraged to speak out.”

    Courtney Blake works with North County People Power, a local grassroots organization started by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). North County People Power is working with Centro de Pueblo to draft and submit an ordinance for a sanctuary county.

    “We are asking the Board of Supervisors to make a county law that equally protects undocumented people and documented people with respect to the justice system,” Blake said.

    Emely Velez also helped organize the rally. Velez is a member of Centro de Pueblo and a senior majoring in Criminology at HSU. She said that now that Bill SB54 (a bill that makes the state of California a sanctuary state) has passed, there is still a possibility that Governor Brown will revoke the bill. If that happens, Centro de Pueblo would like to make Humboldt County a sanctuary county.

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    Security conversing with a rally member. Photo credit: Curran Daly

    “We want to empower undocumented people and D.A.C.A. students,” Velez said. “Our goal is to give a voice them a voice.”

    Both of Velez’s parents are immigrants. She said they came here for the American dream not for themselves but for her.

    “I am not undocumented. I don’t have the fear of people coming after me, but I do have the fear of people coming for my family,” Velez said. “I owe it to my people, if you have the ability to support, why not?”

  • The fight for sanctuary

    The fight for sanctuary

    By | Charlotte Rutigliano

    A rally led by Centro del Pueblo (CDP) will be held on Tuesday, September 19 from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. in front of the Humboldt County Correctional Facility in Eureka.

    According to César Abarca, faculty coordinator for Scholars Without Borders (SWB), the purpose of the rally is to advocate for a county-wide Sanctuary Ordinance.

    “This is also to request a support statement from the county board regarding DACA residents in the county,” Abarca said. CRrallypreview

  • Editorial: Securing sanctuary for our undocumented students

    Editorial: Securing sanctuary for our undocumented students

    By The Lumberjack Editorial Board

    Undocumented students have a right to an education and a safe place to foster that education. Students shouldn’t have to worry about being prejudicially profiled and deported. The new Trump administration’s policy on immigration is threatening to do just that.Fear for the well-being of our undocumented students has existed at HSU throughout Trump’s campaign and has only increased since his inauguration. 
    President Rossbacher released a statement Jan. 31. Reassuring the HSU community that the administration stands in support with our undocumented students and is exploring options, but with our cities of sanctuary under fire we want to know what concrete actions HSU can take in protecting our community. 
    Trump’s executive order, Enhancing Public Safety in the Interior of the United States, threatens sanctuary cities and school campuses. The order states that sanctuary jurisdiction ‘willfully violates Federal law in an attempt to shield aliens. Under the new administration, any place maintaining sanctuary status is to be denounced. Punishment for not cooperating with this directive is the removal of federal funding. 
    Rep. Duncan Hunter, California Republican, introduced legislation that extends this consequence to sanctuary campuses that do not work with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.This affects University federal funding through the financial aid program and student loan debt forgiveness. The law calls for 100 percent compliance with federal immigration requests.
    If the threat of the withdrawal of funds is credible, how does HSU plan to take care of not only the undocumented students but students who can’t handle the fiscal burden this executive order could levy?
    Hearing the words of support from administration is always comforting. Undocumented students only want the opportunity of higher education and a chance to make their way just like American citizens. This attempt to create a safe haven is more than appealing but under federal law, what are our real options? The Lumberjack urges HSU’s administration to do more in the way of making our student community feel safe and secure during their time at HSU.