College Hall on Feb. 25.
Credit: Jean ParkThe Daily Pennsylvanian spoke with four student political groups on campus — Penn for Immigrant Rights, Penn College Republicans, Penn Democrats, and Penn for Liberty — to learn about how they are approaching the shifting landscape of immigration.
As the Trump administration implements changes to federal immigration policy, student groups on campus are planning discussions, debates, and events to address the impacts of these changes.
Immigration policy took on a new significance in the context of educational spaces after President Donald Trump, a 1968 Wharton graduate, announced that college campuses and other educational institutions would no longer be off limits for immigration enforcement operations. On Jan. 20, Trump also threatened to revoke birthright citizenship — a move that could have significant implications for Penn students and faculty.
In the face of these executive orders, PIR has been active in working to ensure that the Penn and West Philadelphia communities stay informed.
On Feb. 13, the group hosted a Know your Rights Workshop with immigration attorney Andrew Thomas. According to a PIR executive board member — who requested anonymity due to fear of retribution — the workshop featured different scenarios that people may face depending on their immigration status.
Looking ahead, PIR is planning an event in conjunction with the Graduate School of Education and a community-led immigration organization called Juntos. The event, which is set for March 4, is another initiative to inform students about the changing dynamics in immigration policy.
“There’s a lot of misinformation going around with immigration policy because people don’t necessarily know where to find executive orders nowadays,” the PIR board member said. “So, PIR tries to stay informed and share what we know.”
To combat misinformation, PIR is also creating informational pamphlets about the new policies. These pamphlets will be handed out and distributed to cultural resource centers on campus.
Other clubs have focused more on open discussion and debate.
College junior and Political Director of College Republicans Peter Kapp told the DP that College Republicans has had a couple of discussions this semester among members and at club meetings regarding immigration.
“We’ve certainly decided that we lean towards increasing border protection,” Kapp said. “Very few people are saying, ‘Let’s go to the most extreme.’ But one of the best things about this club is that the people really do have diverse opinions and there’s absolutely a lot of nuance.”
Kapp added that there are mixed feelings among club members, with reactions to the new policies ranging from excitement, to uncertainty, to fear.
Aside from these discussions, College Republicans is planning to host a number of speakers this spring — events where the topic of immigration will be discussed.
In a written statement to the DP, Penn Dems wrote that it also features speakers at its weekly general board meetings. In previous years, the organization has collaborated with PIR to plan programming that informs Penn students and the wider community.
“We try to bring in a wide variety of speakers to talk about important issues, including immigration that may impact Penn students and/or their families,” the group wrote.
College Republicans, Penn Dems, and Penn for Liberty are also working on scheduling a debate about immigration policy. The debate was initially scheduled for last semester but was moved to later this spring.
Second-year University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School student and Penn for Liberty President Caleb Waters believes that such debates open up meaningful conversations, especially within libertarian circles on campus.
“There’s no libertarian position on immigration conditions,” Waters said. “Various libertarians have their own positions and it’s a freely debated issue, so we encourage that and try to get as many different perspectives as we can both in and out of the club.”
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