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Hispanic Association Club Plans Response to Executive Order

By Thomas Gillen
co-Editor-in-Chief

Associate history professor Willie Hiatt and psychology professor Dr. Robert Keisner will speak at the Hispanic Association Club’s upcoming discussion on Feb. 15 in Humanities 008 at 12:30 p.m. The discussion will be focused on the “sanctuary campus movement, in which colleges and universities seek to protect students who are undocumented immigrants” Hiatt said. A sanctuary campus can provide legal support for students, protect sensitive information about a student’s citizenship status “refuse to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and raise awareness about immigration issues through demonstrations, vigils, and
other actions.” The discussion is a response to President Trump’s executive order, which is no longer in place, which prevented citizens from seven Muslim countries from entering the United States.

Junior international studies major Aida Enaorado and president of the Hispanic Association Club, stated that the purpose of the club is to “build a community of Hispanics and Latinos on campus where we feel we are not represented enough, to create a more positive view of our community, to help organizations that help countries of Latin America, like Operation Smile, and to educate people on campus about our community.” While the Hispanic Association Club is not directly associated with the executive order, Enaorado said that “Hispanics and Latinos are facing similar struggles as many other immigrant groups and because of that, we need to stick together.”

Hiatt and Keisner will lead the discussion titled, “Protective Walls: Immigrants and the Sanctuary Campus Movement in the Trump Era.” Keisner stated that the purpose of the discussion is to “create an environment where people can openly discuss how such religious based bans and deportations affect them and what actions we all might take.”

Hiatt, one of the faculty advisors of the Hispanic Association Club, asked Keisner to take part in the discussion because “he was aware of my interest and concerns about the threats to the civil liberties of those among us who have become even more vulnerable following the election.”

Hiatt and Keisner encourage all students to attend to learn more information about the issue or if they know someone who was affected by the ban. “Any student who is concerned about immigration issues can learn more about this important movement, meet other students who share their concerns and/or desire for advocacy, and meet engaged faculty members who are working on this issues either as part of their research or personal interests,” Hiatt said.

“Protective Walls: Immigrants and the Sanctuary Campus Movement in the Trump Era” will take place on Feb. 15 in Humanities 008 at 12:30 p.m. The Hispanic Association Club meets every Monday during common hour with the location depending on which events are scheduled.

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