Recent immigration actions have diminished the sanctity and safety of our campus.
In October 2025, hundreds of volunteers have stood outside of the Cedar Rapids Field Office for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to ensure the safety of fellow Iowans during their routine check-ins.
These check-ins are mandatory and serve to confirm that those released from custody during pending immigration cases are complying with the conditions of their release, often to confirm that they have not moved residences.
However, some have been unexpectedly detained at these routine appointments. Iowa News Now and the Iowa City Press Citizen describe two cases in which over a hundred volunteers stood by to ensure that, no one disappears in silence.
This concern comes as citizens struggle to find their loved ones after they are detained due to suspected undocumented status. According to CNN, parents are struggling to track down their children after being moved from state to state in ICE custody.
Mere miles from the local ICE field office is Kirkwood’s largest campus. AACRAO, the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Advisors Offices, explains that in January the Department of Homeland Security issued a directive to rescind the protections which prevented ICE and CBP agents from acting in or near schools, hospitals, and places of worship.
Furthermore, Oregon Public Broadcasting discusses the Supreme Court’s decision to allow agents in Los Angeles to consider race during sweeps, while also noting that over 170 legal citizens of the United States have been mistreated while being detained; this includes being physically harmed and being withheld the right to contact a lawyer or loved one, some for more than a day.
Between the proximity to the Cedar Rapids office and the removal of protections for campuses, immigration actions have diminished the sanctity and safety of our campus, thereby impairing collegiate engagement.
Categories: Contributed, Editorials, Opinion
