Alabany Profs Ask Students to Sign Petition Urging Noncompliance with ICE
Earlier this week a group of four professors at the University of Albany circulated a petition to students demanding the school declare itself a sanctuary campus and “[refuse] to comply with ICE officials beyond what is minimally required by the law.”
In an email sent Monday to students listed as the “primary contact for a campus program or organization” obtained by Young America’s Foundation, the professors wrote, “In light of recent political events, a number of us drafted a petition to President Stellar asking that he make UAlbany a Sanctuary Campus that takes certain steps to maintain a safe and supportive environment for students, faculty, staff, alumni and their families of different races, religious backgrounds, sexual orientations, gender identities, disabilities, and immigration statuses.”
The email continued, “If you agree with this call to action to please sign the form and to distribute it widely.”
In order to become a sanctuary campus, the petition in the email asks the university to prevent ICE from carrying out immigration enforcement on campus without a warrant, ensure that university police will not act on behalf of ICE officials to enforce immigration laws or inquire about an individual’s immigration status, and guarantee student privacy by refusing to release information regarding immigration status and country of origin to any government agency.
The petition also asks the university president to “provide safe spaces for individuals to take part in religious practice and assembly without fear of harassment.”
The email to students was sent by anthropology professor Cara Ocobock and signed by anthropology professor Jim Collins, sociology professor Joanna Dreby, and adjunct anthropology lecturer Amanda Spriggs. All four educators are listed at the top of the petition as well.
For a taste of Ocobock’s ideological persuasion, look no further than her Twitter account.
The day after Hillary Clinton lost the presidential election, Ocobock posted a mournful picture of herself on with the caption “I wear a pantsuit today because it makes me feel strong and confident.” On election day she posted another picture of herself in a pantsuit with the hashtag #nastywomenunite, a phrase used by Clinton supporters on social media.
In April she posted a photo of herself in a t-shirt that reads “Seahorses Against Gender Roles.”
The University of Albany is a public school. Professors using university resources to promote a petition that asks students to support noncompliance with United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement is highly inappropriate conduct.
