November 21, 2016
Dear Members of the Campus Community,
Last Friday, along with presidents at dozens of other colleges and universities, I signed a statement calling for the continuation and expansion of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. The DACA program began in 2012 and offers certain protections to people who were brought to the United States illegally as children, including those attending our nation’s colleges and universities. The statement and additional information appeared in this morning’s edition of Inside Higher Education.
Over the past week, I also have been in conversation with colleagues on campus and around the country about the sanctuary campus movement. Sanctuary campuses are those that promise to not assist federal immigration officials in the investigation of the immigration status of members of a campus community—students, faculty, and staff alike. Our university already engages in many practices consistent with the ideals espoused by the sanctuary campus movement, including adherence to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act; the offering of admission regardless of an individual’s citizenship status; and the provision of institutional and any other financial aid for which a student is eligible. Currently there are conflicting national interpretations about what it means to be a sanctuary campus, and I will continue to work with others to consider a meaningful position on this issue for Puget Sound.
The safety and wellbeing of every member of our campus community is at the heart of our commitment to being a welcoming and inclusive space for all. I pledge to you to consider carefully all actions and opportunities to bring that goal to fruition.
Sincerely,
Isiaah
Isiaah Crawford | President