BALTIMORE — Johns Hopkins students stood with religious leaders Wednesday night, calling on the university to protect students from ICE.
The press conference was organized by the Council on American Islamic Relations, or CAIR.
VIDEO: Johns Hopkins students call on university to protect them from ICE
It came after a memo from the university instructed students and staff to not interfere with ICE agents operations if they come on campus.
Some students declined to share their names for safety reasons but told WMAR 2 News that the memo created a chilling effect.
"It's terrifying, and you see these echoes of our history reiterated today, so we were just horrified to hear this," one student said.
"And to add on to that, it has basically just told us that the university does not have our backs. The university is not there to protect us at all, and they've actually made it easier for our vulnerable communities to get arrested and hurt," another student said, adding her thoughts.
However, a university spokesperson sent a statement saying in part, "The federal government has stated it intends to enforce criminal laws regarding interference with federal officials, which can include felony charges, and we want affiliates to avoid the potential risk of individual federal criminal prosecution."
A Johns Hopkins staff member at the press conference declined to share his name but called on our state legislators to get involved and bar universities from sharing students' personal data with federal agents without a warrant.
"I call on Governor Wes Moore, on all Maryland legislators, on President Ron Daniels—protect our students, protect their liberty, protect their privacy. Governor Moore sign an executive order; this is the time to have courage and act," he said.
But the university spokesperson's statement went on to say, "The university does not provide information about the immigration status of members of our community unless required by law. If federal immigration officials present a valid warrant or specific court order, the university will comply with such orders."
The statement also sought to clear up confusion about the memo, stating, "In February, we issued guidance to employees in clinical settings to contact the Office of Public Safety immediately if they encounter immigration enforcement officers on campus. The guidance states that federal law enforcement officers are not authorized to access non-public areas of campus without valid legal authorization and directs that Public Safety will work with our Office of General Counsel to ensure legal processes are followed. The same information was posted to the public safety website, and this guidance is for the benefit of all affiliates."
Clark Didavi, a JHU student, wasn't involved with Wednesday's demonstration and learned about the memo from WMAR 2 News.
"When I think about how some of my friends could just be prosecuted or, without any type of forewarning, they could just be—people are saying disappeared off the streets—that's really scary for me, especially since I have a lot of friends that aren't originally from the U.S.," Didavi said.
But after some more thought, he wanted to give another interview, looking at the situation from the university's perspective.
"I'm sure it's a rock and a hard place. We can't completely blame Hopkins for not wanting to interfere, but we also need them to kind of step up in that situation."
Another student left a lasting message for university staff.
"To Johns Hopkins University faculty: when your students and children ask you what you did when your community members were being unconstitutionally snatched off your campus and sent to detention camps, will you be proud to say I did not intervene?" she said.
At the time of publication, WMAR 2 News has heard no reports of ICE agents conducting investigations on Johns Hopkins' campus.
