In recent weeks, Saint Anselm College sent a guide to college employees regarding the appropriate response to a visit or request from local, state, and federal law enforcement or government representatives. The letter aimed to inform college employees and employers of the correct way to respond to these visits, should law enforcement be looking for information about a particular student, staff, or faculty member.
With the implementation of President Trump’s strict new immigration and deportation policies, Saint Anselm is aiming to adequately protect their students should an invasive circumstance arise. The letter begins by stating “for the protection of our community and to ensure compliance with all municipal, state and federal laws, we have adopted the following mandatory protocol that applies to any on-campus interactions between a college employee and any municipal, county, state or federal law enforcement officer (“LEO”).”
These interactions between community members and law enforcement revolve around certain situations that could “trigger this protocol,” the letter said. “Situations that could trigger this protocol include encounters with a LEO who seeks to serve a subpoena, summons, complaint, restraining order, injunction, request for disclosure of information, I-9 Notice of Inspection, or any other legal document; unannounced inspections or compliance visits by Department of Homeland Security (DHS) relating to international students and exchange visitors on F-1 or J-1 visas, or workers on H-1B or other non-immigrant visas; or service of a criminal warrant, search warrant, or any activity relating to a criminal investigation,” the letter said.
Employees and employers must follow the protocol if it is applicable to the situation and relevant to the information that a law enforcement officer may be searching for. Information is not to be freely given to a law enforcement offer.
The required protocol for these law enforcement interactions begins by “inform[ing] any LEO that Saint Anselm College prioritizes cooperation with law enforcement and government agencies and, to that end, has implemented a specific protocol that you must follow.”
The letter immediately follows with the correct steps of protocol, and said that the specific protocol that must be followed is to “ a) Ask the LEO to standby while you contact Campus Safety and Security; then b) Contact Director of Campus Safety and Security, Scott Dunn, at 603-641-7260; or c) If it is outside of business hours, contact Campus Safety and Security at 603-641-7000, “0” (you do not need to listen to the message before dialing “0”).”
The step-by-step instructions on how to properly engage with a law enforcement officer if they are to enter campus with a search for an individual or documentation allows the college to adequately protect its students.
The letter closes with final instructions, and requests employees “Please do not provide any information about any College student or employee to any LEO, as doing so may be a violation of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (“FERPA”) and/or New Hampshire RSA 275:56 and/or other applicable federal or state law. This includes, but is not limited to, providing any personal information about a student or employee, or confirming that any person is a College student or employee.”
Campus Safety and Security are to be contacted under the protocol, but Campus Safety could not provide information or commentary on how well prepared the college is to meet the protocol should it be necessary to follow its instructions.
Though this letter was sent to college members weeks ago, it was recently addressed in the Boston Globe that “New Hampshire State Police is looking to enter into an agreement with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement to deputize its officers as federal immigration agents, which could allow them to question, detain, and arrest individuals based solely on their immigration status.” (Boston Globe)
“The State Police has a pending application to enter the “task force model” under what is known as a 287(g) program with ICE, which allows local law enforcement to perform immigration officer functions, according to ICE’s online database of participating agencies.” (Boston Globe)
Though this does not pose an immediate threat to the college or particular individuals at the college, it emphasizes the reality of the necessity of the guide and protocols. As Saint Anselm resides in the state of New Hampshire, it is crucial to understand how the local and state law enforcement could impact the college and any potential students, staff, or faculty members.
In order to maintain the privacy and protection of those at the college, it is imperative that the mandatory protocol is followed if a situation arises and calls for it.