Senate Passes Sanctuary Campus Resolution with Strong Support from Senators and Students
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By Lucienne Burns | March 9, 2025
“As a flagship university of the nation's second largest state university system, the University at Albany must lead the charge to protect public education from the front not the rear,” read a resolution last Wednesday, on the Student Association (SA) Senate’s agenda.
The resolution, S.2526-146R, was sponsored by Senator Maceo Foster and Senator Carolina Thomas, and co-sponsored by eight other senators.
The resolution called for a sanctuary campus and university protection of students, along with implementation of a system to notify students of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) presence on campus. The resolution also called upon the university to establish further legal resources and personal rights training.
Since the document is a resolution and not a bill, it does not implement any policy upon its passage, but is relayed to the university and encourages it to take action.
Senators voice support
“The Student Association demands that the University at Albany build a system to immediately notify the entire student body upon confirmation of the presence of ICE and or other federal immigration agents on or within five miles of the Uptown Campus,” said Senator Foster, reading out the bill’s provisions. “The university has the capability to send out mass, university-wide emails in the event of an emergency. We want that system to be utilized.”
The bill, following student support voiced during public comment, overwhelmingly passed the senate with 36 “yes” votes and one in the negative.
Several senators expressed their support during the debate period, only proposing minor amendments and reiterating its necessity.
The resolution was a joint project between SA and the Sanctuary Campus Coalition, made up of student organizations such as Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA), Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), UAlbany College Democrats and Democracy Matters.
SA President Trevor Pettit also expressed his support for the passage of the resolution.
“I wholeheartedly support the well-being of all students, regardless of their background,” Pettit said. “I look forward to the demands outlined in the resolution coming to fruition.”
Along with Pettit, the university says it prioritizes the importance of a safe environment and well-being of students.
University response
“The University at Albany is committed to providing a safe, welcoming and supportive environment for our campus community where students can learn, grow and succeed,” Director of Public Information Amy Geduldig said in an email to The ASP. “To support that mission, the safety, privacy and well-being of our students remain our highest priorities.”
Geduldig additionally outlined the circumstances in which students’ privacy is protected by state and federal law.
“The privacy of UAlbany students and employees is protected by federal and New York State law. These laws safeguard student education records, limit when state agencies may inquire about immigration status, require federal authorities to present a judicial warrant before making an arrest on a SUNY campus, and restrict disclosure of personal information unless required by law,” Geduldig said. “SUNY policy also directs campuses to consult campus counsel before responding to law enforcement requests involving immigration status. Interpretation of these laws in specific circumstances is handled by University Police and Campus Counsel.”
The senate previously passed a similar resolution two semesters ago, following four international student visas being revoked at UAlbany. The previous resolution, which passed the senate on April 9 of last year, “demanded” the university take steps to implement sanctuary campus protections for non-citizen students and to protect the rights of all students.
Senator Ethan Kavalunus noted that this resolution would not replace the previous one that had already passed; it would build upon its work and impact.
“Demands evolve and more demands are made over time. [The resolution] is not overwriting what was already done,” Kavalunus said. “It’s adding to what’s been done, and continuing this conversation and putting more pressure on university administration to do what the students want.”
Students react
Other senators looked forward to the passage of the resolution and its potential impact on international students at UAlbany.
“First, I would like to thank everyone who put together this bill, because as an international student myself, I know the scares we have every day…waking up, did I get an email from any administration? Maybe it can lead to a start where we as international students can be a little more free, and maybe the situation can be a little bit less scary than it is,” said Senator Rupeeka Reddy Surakanti.
Unlike a typical senate meeting, the chairs in the back where members of the public can sit were filled more than usual. In total, eight students spoke during the public comment section to express their support for the resolution.
“I feel that as this campus has heavily prided on itself and advertised itself as being a place open to, you know, a diverse set of students and everything, I feel that it’s very important that the campus takes adequate measures to protect all of its students, including people that make it so diverse,” said Dylan Perry, a member of the public.
Other students expressed concerns regarding the safety of international students.
“I’ve come towards my support as someone who’s had to take a stand on multiple sides of this issue…as a journalist, as a former student senator myself at my community college,” said Cal Martin, a senior at UAlbany. “And most importantly, as a friend to many international students.”
“I think that it’s essential that we have legislation on this pass, particularly given the horrors that we are seeing in this country right now, especially with students on college campuses,” said Eli Jacques, a student and member of YDSA.
As Jacques expressed, the discussion of ICE’s impact on college students is not exclusive to the Capital Region.
Recently, ICE agents at Columbia University in New York City posed as members of the NYPD to gain access to a university residential building, saying that they were searching for a missing child, according to the New York Times. Instead, the agents detained a student, who has since been released after New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani met with President Donald Trump and requested her release.
The university has taken steps toward maintaining the safety of students, such as sending a campus-wide email on March 3 detailing student resources available amid the recent national reports of immigration enforcement.
Resources available to UAlbany students
The university encourages students to reach out for resources in times of need. The email, along with Geduldig, listed available resources such as:
Local immigration legal services and Student Legal Services for undergraduates through the Student Association (the university can connect students with these resources)
Know Your Rights toolkit (developed with the New York Immigration Coalition in partnership) and training information (which has been shared with campus employees and posted in residence halls and apartments)
Family Preparedness Resources, which are multilingual
A hotline, which is confidential, for legal help: 1-800-566-7636
Multilingual flyers that can be downloaded to gain quick access to resources
UAlbany’s International Student and Scholar Services
The university additionally reminded students of the scope of the University Police Department in terms of immigration.
“The University Police Department does not enforce federal immigration law and does not inquire about an individual’s immigration status,” Geduldig said.
While the resolution may not set law or policy into place as a bill would, its sponsor acknowledged that steps are being taken, and that resolutions can have an impact.
“I would like to make a note here that we did all just get an email yesterday from the admin,” Senator Foster said, referring to the email sent providing resources to students. “So we are starting to see action, and that's great, and it's really refreshing.”
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