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Immigration Rights and Resources for the Campus Community

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Immigration Rights and Resources

Cal Poly Humboldt is deeply committed to maintaining a safe, supportive, and inclusive environment for everyone, and ensuring academic opportunities are available to all students, regardless of citizenship status. 

Members of our campus community may have questions and concerns about potential immigration enforcement actions on campus. We want to ensure that everyone is equipped with the resources and information needed to navigate interactions with immigration enforcement officials in the event they come to campus. Below is guidance on responding to immigration officers, information about individual rights, and available resources.

Quick Guide for Students and Employees

What to do if you see Federal Immigration Officers on campus? 

  • Immediately contact Michelle Caisse, Interim Associate Vice President and  Chief Human Resources Officer, (707) 826-4501 or michelle.caisse@humboldt.edu OR David Hickcox, Title IX Coordinator & DHR Prevention Administrator, (707) 826-5177 or david.hickcox@humboldt.edu 
  • If neither of these administrators is available, contact the University Police Department (UPD) at (707) 826-5555. 
  • You may also report it to Centro del Pueblo’s ICE hotline: (707) 200-8091. 
  • If you hear rumors of federal immigration officers on campus or in the community,  or have doubts about vehicles you may see on campus, etc, alert Interim AVP Caisse. 
  • After you report, do not spread unverified reports of the presence of federal immigration officers—this spreads fear and anxiety. 

What to do if you are approached by Federal Immigration Officers? 

  • Inform the officer that you are not you are not obstructing their process, but you’re not authorized to release student or employee data or provide access to non-public spaces, and that you must contact the university official designated to verify the immigration enforcement documents (Interim AVP Caisse). 
  • Immediately alert Michelle Caisse, Interim Associate Vice President and Chief  Human Resources Officer, (707) 826-4501 or michelle.caisse@humboldt.edu or David Hickcox, Title IX Coordinator & DHR Prevention Administrator, (707) 826-5177 or david.hickcox@humboldt.edu. 
  • If neither of these administrators is available, contact the University Police Department (UPD) at (707) 826-5555. 
  • After alerting AVP Caisse, ask the immigration officer for a copy of their credentials (name and badge number), agency affiliation, and contact information and record this information. 
  • An immigration officer must present a valid judicial warrant to access nonpublic areas of the University or to search university records unless exigent circumstances exist. If the officer declares that exigent circumstances exist and demands immediate access, immediately alert UPD. 
  • Reach out to community support networks, like Scholars Without Borders, CHIRLA, and Centro del Pueblo (CdP). CdP’s ICE hotline: (707) 200-8091. 

Students in need of support can reach out to: 

Preparedness Resources

CSU is dedicated to supporting all students, staff and faculty. Many resources exist to support students, staff, and faculty concerning immigration enforcement activities, including the Dreamer Student Center. 

  1. Talk to a Free Immigration Service Provider. Get free legal advice now and plan how to respond to potential immigration enforcement encounters. To schedule an appointment contact:  Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), which makes regular visits to campus. 
     
  2. Make a Plan. Access the Immigration Preparedness Toolkit and Family Preparedness Plan developed by the Immigrant Legal Resource Center to help immigrants with no legal status or in a mixed-status household create a strategy to protect themselves and their family members. 
     
  3. Know Your Rights. Take time to figure out which documents you should and should not carry with you. Always carry a red card documenting your immigration rights.  A limited supply of pre-printed cards is available from Associated Students on the second floor of Nelson Hall West.
     
  4. Stay Informed. CSU promotes and posts free webinars presented by our Immigration Legal Resource Providers on its webpage, including a list of upcoming webinars.  

Important Facts to Know

  • Cal Poly Humboldt does not share information with law enforcement about immigration status, religion, nationality, or ethnicity without permission or a legally binding order.

  • Immigration enforcement is the responsibility of federal authorities—not the University. University Police Department (UPD) officers will not contact, detain, question, or arrest an individual solely on the basis of suspected undocumented immigration status or to discover the immigration status of any individual, and UPD will not undertake joint efforts with federal immigration enforcement authorities to investigate, detain, or arrest individuals for violation of federal immigration law. 

  • Because we are a public university, immigration officials can come onto our campus, though only public areas of campus are open to federal officers (i.e., University Quad, Balabanis Art Quad, public streets, sidewalks, and pedestrian thoroughfares).

  • All university buildings and residence halls are considered non-public areas, and access to these spaces can NOT be granted without proper legal authorization (such as a validated judicial warrant). This includes but is not limited to faculty and administrative offices, classrooms, research labs, locker rooms, maintenance facilities, building hallways, and restrooms.

  • State law requires notice to the campus community if immigration enforcement activity is verified on campus. The University has templates prepared by the CSU that will allow us to swiftly notify our community in the case of either immigration law enforcement action or administrative presence on campus related to international student visa audits.

Campus Contacts

Cal Poly Humboldt has designated the administrators listed below to review all immigration enforcement documents. If an immigration enforcement officer approaches you to gain access to a nonpublic area of the university campus, or to obtain confidential student or employee records, do not voluntarily grant access; respectfully inform the officer that you lack authority but will immediately contact our designated campus administrators. If neither of these administrators is available, contact the University Police Department (UPD) at (707) 826-5555.