Republicans have spent the last few years fighting sanctuary cities that promise to protect illegal immigrants from federal law enforcement, an issue that President-elect Trump has already promised to tackle once he takes office.
But the GOP is already looking ahead to the next battle: How to crack down on sanctuary colleges.
Sanctuary colleges are institutions that are taking similar steps to either protect illegal immigrants while they are enrolled and taking classes, or send a clear message to immigration enforcement officers that they aren’t wanted on campus.
Just this year, students at California State University San Marcos protested when U.S. Border Patrol officers were on campus. In an effort to “reassure” students, the school agreed that it would not allow any officials charged with enforcing federal immigration law onto the school’s property.
In addition, nearly 200 other colleges are being pressured to declare themselves as sanctuary campuses, and some administrations have indicated their support.
Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., proposed legislation late last month to send a message that these sorts of efforts won’t be tolerated. His bill, co-sponsored by Reps. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., and Lou Barletta, R-Pa., would block colleges from receiving grant funding under Title IV of the Higher Education Act if they offer sanctuary to illegal immigrants.
“It’s by no means unreasonable to expect the nation’s higher learning institutions to follow the law the same way we expect states and localities to abide by the law,” Hunter told the Washington Examiner. “If a school wants federal money, an open declaration that it’s a sanctuary should disqualify it for federal support.
“It’s free to do that, of course, but there should be a consequence in the form of withheld federal funding — it’s that simple,” he added.
Hunter’s bill defines a sanctuary campus as any school that imposes an ordinance or policy that prohibits or restricts any institution from exchanging information with federal officials about a person’s immigration status, or complying with federal officials with a request to detain someone, or inform the government about someone’s immigration status.
Institutions would also be hit if they harbor or bring in an illegal immigrant in violation of federal law, or make an illegal immigrant eligible for “any postsecondary education benefit.”
The Department of Homeland Security would have to notify the public any time it decides that an institution is a sanctuary school.
Hunter’s bill isn’t expected to move in the current Congress, since its work is done and the 115th Congress will convene in early January. But the idea carried in the bill could resurface next year during the Trump administration, which is already signaling a willingness to put a stop to any efforts at a state or local level to block enforcement of federal immigration laws.
Trump famously held campaign rallies featuring the families of people who were killed through the actions of illegal immigrants, and Trump spoke often about taking steps to enforce the law.
But Hunter’s bill also has another purpose: making sure U.S. citizens reap the financial benefits that should be available for them, but are increasingly taken by non-citizens.
Hunter’s office notes that many sanctuary colleges offer illegal immigrants in-state tuition. Hunter and his co-sponsors argue that not only does this practice encourage more illegal immigration, but it also makes college more expensive for the U.S. families who might otherwise benefit from reduced tuition rates.
