CHICAGO - Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and the city council will have an ally in the threatened battle from the incoming Trump Administration over the enforcement of federal immigration laws.
DePaul University's President Rev. Dennis H. Holtschneider, C.M. wrote in an email to students Wednesday that students without legal immigration papers should not be concerned, because the university will actively protect them from the "new presidential administration."
"A number of you have inquired about what potential changes in immigration policy could mean for some of our community as a new presidential administration prepares to take office," Holtschneider wrote. "DePaul has always welcomed students regardless of their citizenship status, and we will keep our commitment to undocumented students who choose this university for their education."
He then assured DePaul students that the university administration does not keep records that indicate a student's documentation status.
"If government authorities sought such records from us, we wouldn't have anything to share. We cannot produce what we do not possess," he wrote. He then went on to list "extensive resources" DePaul provides for their students that may be concerned about their security.
- Students have access to Croak Student Legal Services, located in the Lincoln Park Student Center, which provides free legal services as well as referrals to external resources.
- The DePaul Asylum and Immigration Law Clinic can assist students and their families. They have also developed a referral list of low-cost legal service providers who provide assistance in Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals cases and have engaged DePaul alumni to provide one-on-one consultations for DACA and undocumented students...
- University Counseling Services and University Ministry both stand ready to support students more personally as they balance the stress that such uncertainty brings.
- More broadly, the DREAM resource guide is a collection of instructions for how an undocumented student could access health insurance, scholarships and financial aid resources and support services at DePaul and in the greater Chicago community. This guide was developed by DePaul's DREAM Working Group, who will continue meeting regularly to discuss how the university can enhance its support for undocumented students.
President Holtschneider then declares that DePaul supports Mayor Emanuel's declared sanctuary city status.
"Finally, DePaul supports Mayor Rahm Emanuel's commitment to maintain Chicago as a sanctuary city and pledges continued action on these ongoing initiatives to support undocumented students," he wrote.
