Students and advocates in Georgia have been raising quite a ruckus in opposition of the University System of Georgia’s Board of Regents’ (BOR) policy on undocumented students.
BOR’s rule — and a recent defeat in Georgia’s highest court — has prompted protesters to rally for the rights of students prohibited from attending Georgia’s top schools due to their legal immigration status.
Some who classify as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) students tried to sue the BOR for the right to enroll in those universities and access to in-state tuition. They had no such luck.
So they took to picketing. On Feb. 1, supporters at schools statewide gathered to chant and sing about the plight of undocumented students. A crowd congregated on Georgia State’s Honors College stoop for a sit-in protest in hopes of catching University President Mark Becker’s ear.
Police told them to leave when the building closed that evening. But their civil protest trudged on into the odd hours of the night — then morning, under the watchful eye of university police.
And about an hour before the building reopened — when the sit-in would have again become legal — police started slapping on cuffs. GSUPD Deputy Chief Lt. Carlton Mullis said cops were just waiting to “put the proper resources in place.”
We commend the DACA students for toughing it out, pushing their cause through the trials of civil disobedience.
The local news media loudly shouted of the plight of the undocumented. Still, no word from Becker. So, despite a clamor of media coverage, the protesters left the Honors College patio dissatisfied.
What came next in the fight for their rights had us scratching our heads. In a time of uncertainty regarding the safety of Georgia State’s library, university officials gathered to chat about potential precautionary measures.
Protesters for undocumented students’ rights showed up as a boisterous interruption to the safety town hall meeting organized by Becker.
We call foul.
The plight of DACA students cannot overshadow the fears rising around campus of armed robbers. And Becker’s silence on the matter is surely more tactful than racist; it doesn’t warrant a disturbance of important talks.
Although the DACA students showed their layer of thick skin, we don’t think their interruption a good move. Tell us what you think by emailing us at signaleditor@gmail.com.
