Federal immigration policies draw ire, conversation

By Noa Berz     2/4/25 11:25pm

Thousands of Houstonians marched down Sunset Blvd. on Sunday to protest President Donald Trump’s new immigration policies. Students like Rocio Vides, the daughter of two Salvadoran immigrants, joined the protesters in marching for immigration rights.

“There was a lot of camaraderie, a lot of music, a lot of joy,” Vides, a Wiess College freshman, said. “It was just an environment I felt very comfortable and safe in.” 

The march, organized by immigrant-led civil rights group Familias Inmigrantes y Estudiantes en la Lucha, took place one day before Rice’s Undocumented Student Task Force kicked off UndocuALLY Week for the first time since 2019. Planning for the week began last semester, before the 2024 presidential election, but co-director Paula Gamino said programming was shifted to focus primarily on President Trump’s new immigration policies. 

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“[We want to] let people know what their rights are,” Gamino, a Martel College sophomore, said. “A big part of why we want to put on this week-long event [is] to make sure that … we know what to do to protect our community.” 

The week’s kick-off event on Monday featured posters with information for undocumented students and discussion boards for those interested in learning more about the relevant issues. Also present was USTF founder Ariana Engles ‘20, who started the task force as a freshman after the university officially began welcoming undocumented students in 2016. 

“I started [USTF] as a way to try to make a difference on a topic I care greatly about in the community,” Engles said. “It’s eight years later, and unfortunately, the needle hasn’t really moved forward as far as immigration policy is concerned.”

Since his inauguration, Trump has signed a number of executive orders restricting immigrant rights in the U.S. and increasing border security measures. The Department of Homeland Security also released a statement Jan. 21 which ended a policy barring Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents from protected areas like churches and schools. 

In a campus-wide discussion held at the Rice Multicultural Center Jan. 31, diversity facilitators Kaz Nam and A’Zhariya Ellis examined Trump’s new policies and what they might mean for Rice students. 

“It’s not that it’s just illegally, they’re taking away ways to [immigrate] legally,” Nam, a Lovett College sophomore, said. “I think it’s really unfair because America was built on immigrants.

“There’s a lot of concern that ICE, especially with the safe havens being revoked, that they’ll be able to come into schools [like Rice],” Nam continued. 

According to a document sent out by Rice General Counsel Omar Syed, federal immigration agents can enter the Rice campus if they have a judicial warrant signed by a federal or state judge. 

With the proper warrants, federal agents may enter residential colleges, dorm rooms and off-campus student apartments. With an administrative warrant issued by an immigration official, or with no warrant, agents must be granted permission to enter by Rice or other property holders. 

ICE recently stated that they may request information from U.S. citizens during field work following several occurrences of Native Americans being questioned and detained by agents. Trump also signed executive orders calling for the enhanced vetting and surveillance of international students.

According to Vides, who is also internal outreach chair for the Rice First-Generation Legal Collective, all students should be prepared for encounters with law enforcement. 

“Undocumented students are absolutely not the only ones who should have reason to worry,” Vides wrote in an email to the Thresher. “The increase in federal activity concerning the detention of immigrants poses the dangerous possibility of an influx of racial profiling and suspicion.

“My personal opinion, however, is that I doubt we will see ICE agents storming campus,” Vides continued.

Recently, a recruitment webinar for CBP was posted to Rice’s 12twenty page, the Center for Career Development’s job and internship database. Vides said the posting was poorly timed.

“I think it’s disrespectful to undocumented students, and frankly, I don’t think it’s appropriate,” Vides said. “I also understand that Rice has an obligation to send out opportunities to us regardless of where it may fall on the political spectrum.” 

Executive director Nicole van den Heuvel said that the CCD prioritizes the career goals of every student. 

“The [CCD] supports all members of the Rice community — undergraduates, graduate students and alumni — in achieving their career goals,” van den Heuvel wrote in an email to the Thresher. “As a member of the National Association of Colleges and Employers, the CCD adheres to the Professional Standards for Colleges and University Career Services, ensuring that we collaborate with employers to support our students.”

USTF co-director Dayanh Rubio-Gomez said that many undocumented students may fear for their families who live unprotected and often lack informational or legal resources. 

“We have the privilege to find these resources, but that is not the same for undocumented experiences elsewhere,” Rubio-Gomez, a Martel College senior, said. “Who’s doing that out there for people working in agriculture, people that are driving to work every day, people that are living in border towns?”

Engles said that she is encouraged by the continued student support for and allyship with undocumented students at Rice. 

“I think that energy has carried through over the last few years,” Engles said. “It’s really heartwarming to see that so many students care about their peers, and are willing to step into that advocacy space.” 

In 2016, former Rice president David Leebron sent out a message affirming his support for undocumented students and the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Act, but Rubio-Gomez said she’s disappointed with the university’s response to the issues this time around. 

“I would love a statement from Rice University saying ‘We recognize our undocumented students, we’re going to support them, and, most importantly, we’re going to protect them,’” Rubio-Gomez said. “Stuff like that really does make a difference.”

Engles said she hopes to see the same administrative support as when she was a student. 

“[Leebron] was such a wonderful supporter of DACA, both at Rice and nationally,” Engles said. “I would hope to see the same from President DesRoches.”

President Reggie DesRoches expressed the university’s commitment to upholding research and scholarship in a message to the community Jan. 29 following Trump’s temporary federal funding freeze. Rice has not issued a statement addressing immigration issues or undocumented students since the inauguration, but the university administration reaffirmed that support for all students remains a priority.

“We are committed to providing our students, faculty and staff with the information and support they need as we better understand any impacts,” Syed wrote in an email to the Thresher. “We continue to analyze all recent federal developments and remain in regular contact with policymakers and federal offices.”

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