Indiana lawmakers have passed a measure to ban colleges from adopting themselves as sanctuary campuses, according to WISH TV.
In retaliation of President Trump’s electoral victory in November, campuses across the state and throughout the nation began to ratify policies protecting undocumented immigrants.
“The way I understand what we’re passing here today it will be illegal for our institutions of higher learning to do anything today to protect those children if the federal government shows up one day and says the laws changed,” State Sen. Tim Lanane (D-Anderson) said.
Vice President Mike Pence’s home state already has a measure in place that bars state agencies from imposing sanctuary policies, but this law would specifically address colleges and universities.
The state is willing to withhold funding for colleges that fail to comply with the measure should Governor Eric Holcomb sign the bill into law this summer, according to FOX 59.
“If we can say that universities don’t have to follow it then we can say someone else doesn’t have to follow anything and then the law won’t mean anything,” state Sen. Michael Young said.
Young supports the bill because he is certain it would provide additional safety to students.
While Young had these thoughts, Dana Marquez, executive board member of the Indiana Undocumented Youth Alliance, said “it’s another effort for messaging to be sent to undocumented communities, who already have many barriers — physical or mental — to pursuing higher education.”
The bill needs to be approved again by the state Senate before heading to the governor’s desk.
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