Cornell University officially a sanctuary campus
The university pledges to ‘support and defend’ undocumented students
Cornell will now be a “sanctuary campus” for undocumented students, as announced by Interim President Rawlings in an email sent to the Cornell community this afternoon.
The email says: “Cornell stands and will continue to stand with every Cornellian. We are determined to ensure that all can participate fully and freely in the life of the institution, that we embrace the diversity represented by those who join our campuses, and that we support and defend the most vulnerable among us.”
This statement comes after several protests on Cornell’s campus — the People’s Walkout on November 11 being the most well-publicized — and a petition that has been circulating among Cornell students, faculty and alumni for several days and which currently has 2,202 signatures.
This declaration establishes Cornell as a safe haven for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) students, so they will have access to not only financial aid, but also “equal opportunity to learn and discover without fear of intimidation.”