Five Sanctuary Campuses in Boston, Cambridge shield illegal aliens from ICE
Campus Reform investigated university policies and uncovered five Massachusetts universities with sanctuary campus policies.
As Attorney General Pamela Bondi and the Trump administration put Democratic-led sanctuary cities on notice, colleges and universities inside those cities are doubling down on policies that shield lawbreakers.
In Boston and nearby Cambridge—both sanctuary cities—campuses maintain rules that block federal immigration enforcement and protect illegal immigrants from accountability under the law.
Campus Reform investigated university policies and uncovered five Massachusetts universities with sanctuary campus policies.
[RELATED: Over 35 colleges enforce ‘Sanctuary Campus’ policies, refuse to cooperate with ICE]
1. The University of Massachusetts, Boston (UMass Boston)
The University of Massachusetts, Boston calls itself a “sanctuary campus for DACA students.” The university instructs employees to shield the information of illegal immigrant students if approached by federal authorities.
2. Boston University (BU)
Boston University has taken a similar stance, declaring it has no “legal obligation to notify immigration officials of the presence of undocumented students on campus” and pledging that it “will not share information on the immigration status of undocumented students.”
3. Suffolk University
Suffolk University has gone even further. The university issued a statement promising support for illegal immigrant students and made clear that the Suffolk University Police Department “does not and will not ask our students about immigration status or share information about our students’ immigration status.”
Suffolk University’s Law School hosted a “Know Your Rights” training where organizers distributed “red cards” with detailed directives on how to resist immigration enforcement. Student attorneys coached illegal immigrants to remain silent, demand to see a warrant, and refuse fingerprinting. The training advised students to ask agents to slide a warrant under the door and explained what to look for on the document, with guidance provided in both English and Spanish.
Suffolk further restricts immigration enforcement by barring federal agents from entering campus buildings unless authorized by the police chief, university president, or general counsel, the Suffolk Journal reported.
Just across the river from Boston, Cambridge, Massachusetts, is home to elite universities that enforce sanctuary campus policies.
4. Harvard University
Harvard University says campus police will not help investigate or enforce any federal immigration laws and instructs the campus community to report ICE sightings. The university instructs illegal immigrant students to keep their doors closed if federal agents come to their residence and contact campus authorities instead.
Harvard warns students not to hand over documents or personal information to federal authorities. The school also pledged it will not share “personal information, academic records, or unpublished research” with federal authorities.
Harvard has even issued sample documents of warrants to teach illegal immigrants how to identify valid federal documents.
5. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology follows the same playbook. MIT does not enforce immigration law, refuses to share students’ immigration status, and even provides access to “an immigration lawyer who offers students legal advice regarding their status.”
Campus Reform has covered over forty examples of colleges and universities with sanctuary campus policies. These policies currently remain in place despite federal efforts under the Trump administration and Attorney General Pamela Bondi to end sanctuary protections.
Campus Reform has contacted the universities mentioned in this article for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
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