BOWLING GREEN — Bowling Green State University President Mary Ellen Mazey told activists today she won’t support having the school designated as a “sanctuary campus.”

The BGSU Faculty Senate was prepared today to consider a resolution in support for the designation, which would commit BGSU to not cooperate with federal immigration officials seeking to deport students and staff, in much the same way ”sanctuary cities” have done. But the matter never came up for a vote, Professor Michaela Walsh said, after Ms. Mazey announced she wouldn’t go against federal law.

Instead, Ms. Walsh said Ms. Mazey told activists she had signed on in support of the BRIDGE Act, which would provide protections for students who had enrolled in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which allowed certain undocumented immigrants to stay in the country if they were brought to United States as children. 

The sanctuary proposal — which has been presented at universities across the country — arose after the election of Donald Trump, who has taken tough public immigration positions, including his pledge to repeal DACA, which was enacted by executive order by President Obama.

Ms. Walsh, who helped lead a petition drive to convince BGSU leaders to adopt the sanctuary designation, said activists will still push Ms. Mazey and other officials to implement some of the principles of the sanctuary campus concept, including providing private counseling for students, staff, and families who are undocumented as well as allowing deported students to finish their degrees by using distance learning.

“It doesn't have to have the name of ‘sanctuary campus,’ ” she said.

Ms. Walsh said she believes there was strong support among faculty for the concept, and said she was disappointed that the matter wasn’t brought to a vote.

—  Nolan Rosenkrans

First Published January 17, 2017, 8:39 p.m.