While undocumented students proactively fight to secure university protection from deportation as the president-elect’s inauguration approaches, state legislators are divided on how to move forward.
Though not officially a sanctuary city, Madison’s police department
After a presidential campaign that emphasized deportation and wall-building, anxieties continue to rise for undocumented students as Trump gets closer to the Oval Office.
A letter to university administration urging protection for students, staff and their families by making the campus a sanctuary for the undocumented has gained 4,500 signatures.
Mike Mikalsen, chief of staff for state Sen. Steve Nass, R-Whitewater, asserted the president-elect’s deportation plan will focus on criminals. “People should take a deep breath and wait to see what the new administration is going to do with regards to [undocumented] students.”
Nass co-authored a bill to ban sanctuary cities in the city earlier this year.
Laura P. Minero, a graduate student at UW-Madison and a co-author of the letter, said that it’s clear any actions taken by Trump “would be discriminatory, would be unfounded, would be based
Whether criminal or not, Minero believes “if someone in our community is at risk then we are all at risk.”
State Sen. Fred Risser, D-Madison, a supporter of sanctuary cities, said in an email statement that he is “consulting with [the
Undocumented students are no different than other students, Minero stressed, and must not be excluded from the diverse community UW-Madison commits to
“[I]n its capacity, the University should make efforts to ensure that everyone
The UW-Madison community, claimed Mikalsen, is “simply out of touch with where the rest of the state is and [doesn’t] represent the views of the hardworking people of Wisconsin.”
A meeting between petition creators and university administration is pending.
