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Cuesta College’s plan to protect immigrant students from federal agents

January 29, 2025

Cuesta College President Jill Stearns

By KAREN VELIE

As immigration enforcement ramps up under President Donald Trump, Cuesta College administration implemented procedures for faculty and staff if approached by federal agents.

Even before Trump’s inauguration, the administration office sent out instructions to professors and staff;

  1. Do not consent to entry or provide information.
  2. Notify the designated authorities, which include four administrators and the Cuesta College Police Department.
  3. Collect and forward any presented documents, such as warrants or subpoenas.

In the days following Trump’s inauguration, Cuesta College President Jill Stearns sent an email to professors and staff “to protect our undocumented students since schools are no longer designated as sensitive spaces.” She provided specific instructions for both the San Luis Obispo and the Paso Robles campuses when encountering federal agents.

At the main campus, Stearns ordered staff to say, “I am not obstructing your process, but I am not the designated campus official. Please follow me and I will walk you to the president’s office.” At the Paso Robles campus, Stearns told staff to say, “I am not obstructing your process, but I am not the designated campus official. Please follow me and I will walk you to the dean’s office.”

The campus then ordered red cards for staff and students that can be given to federal agents. The cards instruct the holder to not speak to agents, permit searches or allow entry into their homes.

On Wednesday, Sterns sent another email regarding migrant students. According to Sterns, federal agents generally carry administrative warrants which do not permit them to enter nonpublic places, including classrooms not open to the public.

“Cuesta College police are not required to and, accordingly, will not enforce federal immigration laws,” Sterns wrote. “FBI and DEA agents may have a reason to pursue criminal suspects on Campus. Cuesta College police may cooperate with those efforts to enforce criminal laws.”

 


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This is what education budgets are being spent on? Ms. Stearns needs to resign.


1

When people break the law they can have their privileges revoked and our constitution is not an inalienable right afforded to law breakers. Just do the math: A right minus a right to jail equals zero rights outside of jail.


16

I support any Federal law enforcement agency who wishes to carry out its Constitutional duty to take whatever actions necessary to protect the United States; as should any official at Cuesta College. Any action to deny their actions must be deemed an Obstruction of Justice and treated accordingly.


32

Is she not the face of righteousness? The only problem is that as a publically-funded institution, she must respect the country’s laws that support that institution. If not, she can start her own institution and make her own rules.


52

At least the red card is written in English.


34

The President of Cuesta College will quickly change her tune when Cuesta College loses Federal funding.


Jill Stearns’ ideology concerning Illegal Alien Criminals may be insane, but not nearly as insane as Gavin Newsom’s Interest Free Mortages for Illegal Alien Criminals.


74

This actually seems like a fairly reasonable way for President Stearns to play this out. She must realize that it is extremely unlikely that federal agents will be descending upon undocumented Cuesta students unless they are suspected of dangerous crimes, and she wants to put her sensitive faculty at ease. So she can issue them these “red cards” of protection to show to officials if the Brutes of Donald arrive. The staff at Cuesta can feel emboldened and fierce against the potential tyranny of the Trump administration.


This is all ado about something that is not going to happen, and just laughable histrionics. Let them spin themselves into a lather and waste their energies on unimportant things. That seems to be what they thrive on.


24

Red Cards are ironic since a red card gets means you are being kicked out.


27

Now Cuesta joins Cal Poly in violating the constitution (the supreme law of the Land). Likely these actions will end up being civilly litigated, probably for years. Possibly these actions will end up being criminal prosecuted, also likely for years. Either way there will be one major looser. The taxpayers. Public funds will be used to fund every last expense on both sides for the entire duration. Please public servants, do what is required of you. If you don’t like the laws, get them changed or find a job you can do without any criminal activity.


Also, Ms, Stearns, keep in mind that ANYONE (federal agents, homeless, even commoners like me) can be in the public areas of OUR community college, and absent criminal activity, you cannot do anything about it. Some of the things you are asking your public servants to do and/or say could make them your accomplice. For example, “Do not consent to entry…” This isn’t your house, and no consent is necessary in the public areas. Or, “follow me and I will walk you to the president’s office.” Your public servants have no power to force anyone to follow them anywhere from public spaces.


48

You do realize if you have money there are no laws? And our court system is a racket that recently not long ago, in the “Bible belt” made Black people use separate bathrooms, fountains etc under “the guidance of a court”; and Judges are immune from civil suites even if they commit crimes? How many international innocent civilians do we kill annually? I can give you a peer reviewed number?


-53

All I can think about is all the beautiful people of San Luis with the beautiful yards and the impending “landscaping crisis” that is sure to ripple across the lush manicured properties of the city and county and the numerous lives that will be affected. Oh, how we adore our beautiful yards and gardens – maybe even more so than the food picked for us in the fields.


-60

You forgot how filthy our homes will become with no one to clean them. That’s a pretty insulting post.


16

That’s the same argument the Southern states used, in 1861…


17
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