By: Serena Edwards
Brooklyn College’s International Student Success Office (ISSO), in collaboration with the Undergraduate Student Government (USG) and Student Activities, Involvement, and Leadership (S.A.I.L.), hosted an “Empowering Brooklyn College Campus Community” workshop on Feb 13. The goal of this event was to aid students who are immigrants and those who may be undocumented, as well as students and faculty who want to know how to support their community.
President Donald Trump has signed over 50 executive orders since his inauguration. According to the Center for Migration Studies, one of these executive orders follows the mass deportation of all undocumented immigrants. Since the announcement that ICE will gain access to churches and schools, CUNY has taken the initiative to ensure all students feel secure.
In an email sent on Jan. 27 by BC President Michelle J. Anderson, she stated the procedures BC will take moving forward. “This semester we are quadrupling the number of hours of free immigrant legal services we offer,” said Anderson.
According to ISSO’s website, they offer five pillars of support: CUNY & NYS Financial Aid Application Support, Faculty Mentorship and Career Planning, Community Building and Allyship Support, Wellness and Mental Health Support, and Free legal screening and support in partnership with CUNY Citizenship Now.
Following their website, ISSO’s mission statement states, “[…] every student deserves a safe, inclusive, empowering, and supportive space to thrive academically, personally, and professionally.”
Jesus Perez, director of ISSO, emphasized the importance of each pillar of support.“The first thing a student wants to know is that they’re connected to the campus somehow and that they matter in the bigger picture, that their role on this campus will make a difference,” Perez stated.
ISSO created a program called “Undocu-Ally” that pairs students up with a faculty member to provide not only insight about the student’s major and internship opportunities, but also a safe environment for them during their matriculation in college, as previously reported by The Vanguard.
“Students want to participate in the life of the community, the life of Brooklyn College […] outside of the classroom is so important as well,” Perez stated regarding the second pillar, Community Building and Allyship Support. He discussed the opportunities students deserve to have, “[…] their experiences in internships, resources, and pathways to grad school happen on the outside.”
The third pillar, Wellness, and Mental Health Support, is extremely important to the student body, and ISSO has implemented many efforts for students. “Students have experienced high levels of depression, and anxiety, but in the immigrant community, it’s a lot more because our students face uncertainty of what’s going to happen next,” Perez stated. “We are connected with the Personal Counseling Office. We’re doing ‘Monday Lunch Hours’ where [students] come over and we do group discussions. We also have a dedicated person who sees students one-on-one after the activities,” stated Perez.
ISSO also touched upon their available partnerships, such as UndocuBlack Network, which assists both Black and queer undocumented students. They also referenced the financial services that are available to students. Some of these services include The NYS Dream Act and Dream US Private Scholarship.
After displaying all of these crucial resources, ISSO turned the mic to legal attorney Luz Medrano, who serves as an immigration attorney. She introduced what CUNY Citizenship Now is and her role within the program. CUNY Citizenship Now! is a CUNY-based program that provides legal immigration assistance to any immigrants living within New York City. The program is not income-limited, meaning your income does not play a factor in the service you’re able to obtain.
The workshop delved into individual rights. Medrano mentioned that “ICE needs a warrant signed by a federal judge or your permission.” Individuals also “[…] have the right to remain silent, you have the right to ask if you’re free to go, you don’t have to give police your information.” Medrano mentioned a resource called a “Red Card”, which includes all these written rights.
Another crucial resource mentioned by Medrano is the “Know Your Rights 4 Immigrants,” available on app stores. This app allows immigrants to read their rights in their native language and then translate them into English for the officers.
ISSO plans to continue their support for BC students, informing them of their rights, and providing a safe environment for immigrant students.
For those interested in learning more about ISSO, visit their Instagram @issobc or visit their website https://www.brooklyn.edu/dosa/student-support-services/isso/.