More than 3,000 students, faculty, and community members at DePaul University have signed a petition urging the school to implement “sanctuary campus” policies. These measures would limit cooperation between campus law enforcement and federal immigration authorities while expanding protections for immigrant and international students.
The campaign is led by the Young Democratic Socialists of America’s DePaul chapter. Organizers say momentum has increased after reports of federal immigration agents near campus and heightened enforcement in Chicago and other cities. The petition was delivered on a scroll during a rally last week.
According to the petition, “With the dawn of a second Trump administration, immigrants’ rights once again face an existential attack. As a private Vincentian institution, DePaul University has an obligation to protect students, faculty, and campus workers from all oppressive threats. The University’s administration has taken excellent steps in this direction. However, to truly protect our community, our administration must be concretely proactive and publicly accountable.”
Muhammad Qasim, a senior involved in organizing the effort, explained that action was necessary because of recent immigration enforcement activity: “We’re organizing because what’s happening isn’t theoretical,” Qasim said. “Federal immigration enforcement is active in our city, and students are seeing it firsthand. Students want the university to be proactive and publicly accountable, not just issuing statements after the fact.”
Organizers highlighted incidents of heightened enforcement elsewhere as adding urgency to their demands. “People shouldn’t have to wonder whether immigration enforcement could show up during class or on their way home,” Qasim said. “That’s the fear driving this.”
Reports of agents near DePaul last fall led student groups to organize rapid responses and request clearer communication from administrators. Some students felt that delayed notifications left them uncertain about how to respond if agents appeared nearby.
“Student groups were already responding on the ground,” Qasim said. “The administration said they didn’t want to spread fear or panic, but many of us had already been trained. Information would have helped us protect people.”
While some faculty have offered attendance flexibility for vulnerable students since then, organizers are calling for formal written policies rather than case-by-case solutions.
Their petition calls for barring campus police and contractors from assisting immigration agents without a judicial warrant; maintaining enrollment and legal support for targeted students; sending alerts when agents are near; and requiring Know Your Rights training for all students and staff.
These proposals reflect what organizers see as shortcomings in past university responses—specifically delays in notifying students about agent sightings last fall.
University officials say they are reviewing the petition while emphasizing that student safety remains a priority. In a statement provided to Block Club Chicago, DePaul noted its public safety officers’ training regarding encounters with federal law enforcement: many buildings are already private spaces with restricted access.
The sanctuary campus movement at DePaul began last school year with an earlier version of the petition gathering about 1,700 signatures before being renewed amid increased local enforcement activity; now it has over 3,000 supporters.
After Donald Trump’s first election in 2016, similar campaigns emerged at other Illinois universities—including Northwestern University and the University of Chicago—but those institutions stopped short of adopting sanctuary status due to legal concerns while pledging support through other policies.
At DePaul’s recent rally delivering the new petition, only organizers were allowed inside the student center while others were warned about possible arrest if they entered unauthorized areas—a sign of tension between some student activists and administrators regarding use of campus space.
Students also expressed concern that universities nationwide may hesitate to take public stances on issues like immigration due to potential threats against federal funding under increased scrutiny by current political leaders.
“There’s this feeling that universities are trying to keep their heads down because they don’t want attention from the federal government,” Qasim said. “But if you talk about justice and community, you have to back that up with policies that actually protect students. Otherwise it’s just words.”
Organizers plan continued advocacy efforts including collecting more signatures and meeting with administrators until formal commitments are made by university leadership.
“We’re not trying to fight the university,” Qasim added. “We just want clear protections so students know the school has their safety in mind. That’s the goal.”
