Killeen: No Sanctuary Status For U Of I

University of Illinois President Tim Killeen says the school’s three campuses can not serve as a sanctuary for undocumented students, citing the need to uphold state and federal laws. In a mass e-mail Tuesday, Killeen says the sanctuary concept is not well defined. But he says leaders will continue to do all they can within the law to support and protect all students, including those who are undocumented.

His comments come after petition drives on all three campus, citing incidents of intimidation of women and under-represented students.

Asian American Studies Professor Naomi Paik was among those who started the drive on the Urbana campus. She contends her backers used a different definition of sanctuary than administrators.

“It’s fostering an inclusive campus environment, it’s providing both financial resources and legal resources to undocumented students," she said. "None of these things that we’re asking for violates a law.”

Paik says while U of I administrators were apparently consulting lawyers, she believes they haven’t been talking with affected students about what their needs are.

In the e-mail, Killeen says the U of I will maintain its commitment to protecting student and employees’ confidential information, as well as legislation providing financial aid for undocumented students.