Faculty-led teach-in followed increased enforcement in Los Angeles.
Amid concerns about increased immigration enforcement across Los Angeles, the Dominguez Hills chapter of the California Faculty Association hosted a Rapid Response Teach-In on Nov. 14 to inform Toros about their rights on campus.
The workshop — a joint effort of the CFA-DH Chicane/Latine Caucus and Immigration Task Force — aimed to provide practical guidance on safety and preparedness during encounters with immigration officers.
“Everyone that resides inside the United States, irrespective of their status, has these rights: the Fourth Amendment right, Fifth Amendment right, and Sixth Amendment right,” said labor studies professor Alfredo Carlos, who facilitated the workshop. “The Fourth Amendment right is that you have the right to be free from unlawful searches and seizures.”
During the teach-in, attendees learned the difference between judicial and administrative warrants. A judicial warrant, signed by a judge, authorizes officers to enter a private residence, while an administrative warrant, signed only by an immigration officer, does not.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement has ramped up nationwide since President Donald Trump returned to the White House in January. This past summer, raids by federal agents at multiple sites in LA sparked widespread condemnation from local lawmakers, immigration rights activists, and civil liberties groups.
Then, on Sept. 8, the Supreme Court lifted a temporary block on ICE agents from conducting patrols in the city.
At CSUDH, the issue has been top of mind for many students, particularly those who are undocumented or whose families have mixed status. Approximately 300 students enrolled at the university last fall were undocumented, according to CSUDH data presented to the Academic Senate at the beginning of the year.
Just about two months before the start of the fall semester, on July 1, ICE agents used a university parking lot as a staging area for operations in the city of Carson.
Although no enforcement action took place on campus that day and no one from the campus community was targeted, CSUDH President Thomas A. Parham issued a campuswide email condemning ICE’s presence.
“This is a particular violation at CSUDH, given the student population that we serve and our mission to uphold the dignity and humanity of our student body,” Parham wrote. “Our campus is and must remain a safe place for our entire community.”
According to CSUDH guidance, individuals approached by ICE may invoke their right to remain silent and not answer questions. ICE agents are also barred from entering nonpublic spaces on campus unless they have a judicial warrant or clear permission from university administrators.
Although CSUDH guidelines encourage students, faculty and staff to direct federal agents to Campus Police, some workshop attendees told The Bulletin they feel “constantly unsafe” due to the possibility of encountering ICE on campus or elsewhere.
“I’m always looking over my shoulder to make sure I’m not being watched or followed,” said the student, who declined to be named for this article, citing safety concerns. “I feel like they could show up at my house or school at any moment, and I wouldn’t know how to react.”
Faculty at the workshop were quick to remind attendees that there are multiple community-based resources and organizations available to help people feel safer.
Yesenia Fernandez, a leadership professor, noted that the university recently launched a text-alert system to notify Toros if ICE is ever reported on campus. Fernandez also highlighted organizations like the Harbor Area Peace Patrol.
“They patrol the Southbay areas like San Pedro, Long Beach, and Carson,” Fernandez explained. “They’re essentially keeping an eye out to see if ICE agents are anywhere in the area. They then alert the community.”