By Francesca Billington, Correspondent
Hundreds of Princeton University students, faculty and townspeople gathered outside Nassau Hall Nov. 17 as members of the Princeton DREAM Team, an immigrant rights advocacy group on campus, hosted a walkout calling on the university to become a sanctuary campus for undocumented students.
“We didn’t know that this many people actually cared about this issue,” Soraya Nuñez, a member of the DREAM Team, said after the walkout.
The DREAM Team, a group that works with immigrants in New Jersey and the town of Princeton, sent out a public call to action Monday via email. So far, 2,100 allies have signed their names in support of the document, which lists several statements the group would like to bring to the attention of the university’s administration.
“We call the Princeton administration to proclaim Princeton University as a sanctuary campus for undocumented students and Princeton residents,” the document reads.
The document also called on the administration to “Proclaim the Princeton University Chapel as part of the network of sanctuary churches that provide a refuge for undocumented individuals facing deportation proceedings.”
The document states that the DREAM Team stands in solidarity with several other student groups, including Princeton Latinos y Amigos (PLA), Asian American Students Association (AASA) and Muslim Advocates for Social Justice and Individual Dignity (MASJID).
The demonstration began with student testimonials, one of whom was anonymous. Speakers expressed the need for the Princeton community to support both current and future students who will attend university.
After students spoke about their personal stories and reactions to President-Elect Donald Trump’s election, DREAM Team members led participants in a march through campus and into the Frist Campus Center.
For the duration of the march, supporters chanted statements like “Education not deportation” and “No human is illegal.” The demonstration ended in front of the university chapel.
“The event had a really big impact on uniting people of different backgrounds,” DREAM Team member Danny Navarrete said.
Mr. Navarrete said that DREAM Team is a fairly small group of students. It will continue several initiatives, including mentoring high school students with compromised legal status applying to college. The group also helps community members attain ID cards who did not previously have one.
“We also want to work with the Princeton administration just to establish and solidify that Princeton is a safe place for students who are undocumented and want to apply to Princeton and come here — that it is possible and nothing will happen to you if you apply,” Ms. Nuñez said. “And that if Trump does something, you will be fine.”
The organization has already scheduled meetings with Princeton administration officials, where they will discuss the call to action document.
