Earlier this week, it was confirmed that there have been four people from the Michiana area who have been detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers. A local pastor, who requested anonymity for safety on behalf of herself and her community, said that one was deported, and the others are being held in Kentucky and Indianapolis. She said, “ICE is not ‘as active’ in the Michiana area as it is in other parts of the country, but they are active.”
Gilberto Pérez Jr, vice president for student life and Hispanic Serving Initiatives and the dean of students, said, “It is my understanding that these detentions have been singular detentions and not en masse.”The pastor said the arrests occurred at a place of employment, at immigration and county court appointments and during a traffic stop for driving without a license.
As of now, there have been no sightings of ICE on the Goshen College campus, despite some rumors to the contrary. Campus Safety was given a tip that alleged their presence, but after investigation, Kris RappAfoose, director of campus safety, confirmed that they had been proven false.
President Rebecca Stoltzfus acknowledged the recent arrests in the Goshen area, and reiterated that anyone who sees ICE on campus should stay calm and call campus safety at 574-535-7599.
Currently GC is taking steps to protect the campus community to the best of abilities, but also offer support to the community at large as well. On campus, the Latino Student Union, Voces Fuertes and Alicia Maldonado-Zahra, scholar-activist fellow, have been working with students for Know Your Rights workshops which have also been attended virtually by teaching faculty and staff.
GC has also been provided support for one local family through Short-Term Parenting with our Immigrant Neighbors. As Pérez Jr. also explained, GC has been “helping to coordinate services for immigrant families by connecting families to STPIN.”
One thing Pérez Jr. is doing personally outside of his work at the college is visiting those who have been detained at the Clay County jail. He is there to provide a listening ear, and helps to participate in mental health exercises to reduce stress and anxiety.
If students feel personally drawn to this work, Pérez Jr. also said, “There are opportunities for students to get involved with Indiana [Assistance to Immigrants in Detention] if they want to connect with detained individuals via Zoom or in person if they want to help in this way.”
