Uncertainty became the new normal with shifts in federal policy regarding Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on college campuses beginning in February.
“It feels like we have to be these perfect citizens and make sure that we don’t do anything wrong because something can just happen,” an undocumented St. Edward’s student said. Hilltop Views has granted the student anonymity to protect their privacy.
The student, a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipient, described a new reality where even routine activities carry an undercurrent of fear.
“It is kind of scary that now, (when) we see a police car, we get scared because we don’t know what’s going to happen,” the DACA student said. “We are now in a gray area where we don’t know if we are being targeted because of our skin color or how we look or our accent.”
This anxiety extends beyond personal concerns to the broader educational community. The student pointed out a friend who teaches in Austin Independent School District, at a public school, who told them they haven’t seen one of their students since the immigration policies took effect.
“Parents are scared to send their kids to school, and now it’s jeopardizing kids’ education because they’re so scared,” the St. Edward’s student said.
Laura Flores-Dixit, managing attorney in the San Antonio Office of American Gateways, an immigrant advocacy group, said that significant policy shifts have occurred since the recent administration change.
“In 2021, there was a policy that limited ICE enforcement in protected areas such as schools, churches and health care facilities,” Flores-Dixit said.
This sensitive locations memorandum theoretically shielded educational establishments from immigration enforcement actions. However, this protection was rescinded on Inauguration Day. According to Flores-Dixit, the implications for college campuses are particularly concerning.
While classroom spaces may be considered private, common areas such as courtyards or parking lots are likely to remain accessible to immigration officials, Flores-Dixit said. She added that even if no significant shift has been observed yet, constitutional protections still apply and that students retain their rights to remain silent and refuse searches, even as the official designation of campuses as protected spaces has disappeared.
In response to these policy changes, St. Edward’s has developed a resource in the form of a toolkit, available in MyHilltop. The toolkit provides resources to any hilltoppers seeking immigration-related support and information during this time.
The university is also providing financial assistance regarding legal support through Catholic Charities of Central Texas. With funding from the Congregation of Holy Cross and Campus Ministry, SEU students can receive “consultation and assistance completing the DACA renewal application process.” According to a faculty member at the university, this fast-track procedure is open to students, faculty and staff, as well as family and relatives seeking advice.
However, the DACA student that Hilltop Views is not naming raised concerns about the accessibility of these resources, explaining that they haven’t heard of them or found them.
“I don’t know any of these resources because it is so hard to find stuff in there,” the DACA student said. “I don’t know what’s going on. I don’t know what could happen, where can I go – where can I get this information? It feels like the school is just kind of hiding it under the rug that most of their population in the campus are kids of immigrants, immigrants themselves.”
Beyond the toolkit, faculty, staff and student groups have led grassroots efforts to provide support and assistance to students in need.
On Feb. 14, a workshop titled “Know Your Rights” was held on campus by Associate Professor of Social Work Laurie Heffron. The panel was held to inform SEU faculty and staff about their rights and the guidelines established by the administration for how to respond to immigration officials should they come to campus.
During the forum, Monique Jiménez-Herrera, vice provost for academic initiatives and faculty success, told the audience that if an immigration enforcement officer comes to a classroom, for example, faculty should step out of the classroom, tell the officer that they do not have the authority to answer questions and refer them to the University Police Department.
She said the same advice extends to staff and students in residence halls and other spaces on campus that can be considered private and areas accessed with university IDs. This guidance is reiterated in the News section of the St. Edward’s University site, under “How to Respond to External Law Enforcement.”
“We can say as faculty, your staff or even students, is: ‘I don’t have the authority to give you this information,’” Jiménez-Herrera said. “And what we are asked to do is contact UPD and offer that to them.”
Flores-Dixit questioned this approach.
“My first instinct, with regards to immigration, would never be to direct ICE to a (police department) thinking that is going to protect people,” she said.
She said she is concerned about federal policies that increasingly blur the lines between law enforcement agencies, potentially enabling all to participate in immigration enforcement. Flores-Dixit explained that the university protocol does not create strategic boundaries between ICE and the police.
“A better solution would be to send (ICE officials) to the general counsel or the president,” Flores-Dixit said. “The president needs to review the warrant. You’re trying to create obstacles intentionally through policy.”
Monarchs on the Hilltop, a student group dedicated to supporting immigrant students, has taken a proactive approach to providing peer support during this time of uncertainty.
“Everything that has been happening with immigration goes against what we stand for,” Monarchs President Angie Rodriguez said. “We’re here. We’re not going anywhere. We’re not backing down.”
The organization has been distributing red “Know Your Rights” cards across campus, available in multiple languages. These educational cards explain constitutional protections and what to do if approached by federal agencies.
“There have been a lot of articles coming out this week about how these cards are preventing ICE agents from meeting their quotas,” legal aid coordinator Bella Rodriguez said. “ICE agents are getting fired because people know their rights. And that is powerful.”
Member Mathias Werthmann emphasized the importance of education, stating that the organization’s biggest priority this semester was to inform people about what they can do on an individual level to stay safe and prevent displacement.
The red cards can be found across campus, in the Office of Student Involvement, the Office of Human Resources and the Huddle to name a few.
Monarchs on the Hilltop collaborated with the university as a bridge between students and administration within a dedicated immigration task force, working to create resources – such as the toolkit in MyHilltop – to address campus-wide information gaps.
The work group includes immigration attorneys, administrators and campus ministry leaders. According to Bella Rodriguez, the group meets regularly to discuss the latest immigration updates and collaborate to identify resource needs.
“We’re just making sure that we’re all working together and communicating effectively to try to get those resources out there for the students and making sure that we’re doing the best we can,” Bella Rodriguez said.
Monarchs on the Hilltop members explained that the immigration policies have been an ongoing conversation since last semester, noting that many of these federal policies have already been outlined in Project 2025.
The DACA student said that it would be helpful to have certain resources that could extend beyond students to also support their families.
“We’re not immigration attorneys, but we are still trying to help each other – ‘La raza siempre ayuda la raza’ – and that’s what we are doing, we’re lifting each other up,” the student said. “We’re making sure that we’re not scared.”
As federal immigration policies continue to evolve, uncertainty still lingers.
“If there are any allies reading this article, it’s important to know that you are also a very big part of our group and you are also a very big part of making other students feel safe,” Monarchs outreach specialist Sophia Fox said. “There’s nothing better than feeling support from everybody – knowing that you have support around you that maybe isn’t necessarily also the group in trouble. And for the people who feel scared to talk or speak up – you’re cared for, you’re loved, and you might feel this way, but there are people more than willing to fight for you.”
