Editor’s Note: This story is part of Collegian’s 2025-26 work as part of the Solutions Journalism Network Student Media Challenge. Read more about the project here.
On Dec. 17, 2024, the San Joaquin Delta College Board of Trustees voted unanimously to approve Resolution #23-030, reaffirming Delta’s status as a sanctuary campus.
The specific verbiage in the resolution notes Delta’s commitment to “provide educational opportunities for all” in a commitment to “maintaining a climate of inclusion” and “preservation” of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).
The idea is to protect immigrant populations and limit cooperation with immigration officials, but what it means for Delta College and cities that have elected to designate themselves as “sanctuary” is often much broader.
In the 10 months since the local declaration, President Donald J. Trump signed multiple executive orders with the intent of removing the protections sanctuaries may provide to individuals.
“The Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall, to the maximum extent possible under law, evaluate and undertake any lawful actions to ensure that so-called “sanctuary” jurisdictions, which seek to interfere with the lawful exercise of Federal law enforcement operations, do not receive access to Federal funds,” said a Jan. 20 executive order.
Delta College’s sanctuary policy is aimed at reassuring students and protecting them on campus.
“We want to make you guys feel safe,” said Tina Leal, Resource Specialist for the Dreamers Success Center on the Delta College campus.
TRANSLATING POLICIES TO CAMPUS
For Delta College, reaffirming itself as a sanctuary campus means it is “committed to protecting the rights, dignity, and well-being of all students, including undocumented individuals, and ensuring their ability to pursue education without fear or barriers,” according to the resolution.
“By affirming our sanctuary campus status, you are sending a clear message that all students belong here and their education matters,” Leal said during public comment of the Dec. 17, 2024, meeting. “The resolution is critical to ensuring that fear and uncertainty do not become barriers to education. This is consistent with our mission statement.”
Students who utilize resources at the Dreamers Success Center also spoke in support of the resolution.
“I want my family to be safe, I want to be safe, I want my friends to be safe,” said one student, who Collegian is not identifying due to the sensitive nature of the comments.
Collegian reached out to President/Superintendent Dr. Lisa Aguilera Lawrenson for comment, but received responses from Delta College Director of Marketing and Communications Alex Breitler.
“The idea behind these resolutions was to reassure our campus community that we are here to support all students, regardless of anything that may be happening at the federal level that is beyond our control,” said Breitler.
The act of becoming a sanctuary campus doesn’t change policy and procedure. Instead, it affirms the college’s values when making new policies, such as “Board Policy 5111 Student Directory Information.”
“While the Sanctuary College designation is largely symbolic and does not override federal law,” said Acting District Chief of Police Tammie Murrell. “It serves as a powerful statement of our commitment to student support.”
Policy 5111 directs: “No District representative shall release the contents of a student record to any member of the public without prior written consent of the student other than directory information.”
Under the policy, directory information is limited to participation in officially recognized athletics as well as any degrees or awards earned by students.
California Education Code 66093.3 has additional guidelines on when student information can be shared. The code limits disclosure of information on students, faculty and staff except in certain situations, such as in response to a judicial warrant or court order.
POLICIES UNTESTED
“It is still possible that immigration officials will come to Delta at some point in the future. We do not have control over whether they enter our campus. Anticipating this possibility, we have informed employees that student information is not to be made public,” said Breitler. “And that any immigration official who comes to campus should be escorted to the president’s office for evaluation of a warrant or any other legal documentation.”
The campus sanctuary declaration is largely untested. However, the sanctuary status catalyzed other campus reactions specific to those protections.
At a district in-service event in August, Student Protection for Advocacy Resources and Knowledge (SPARK) presented scenarios to staff for if immigration officials came to campus. The direction of the scenarios was to send officials to the President’s Office.
SPARK is a project charter with the goal of supporting and advocating for “vulnerable” student populations and ensuring the district does everything in its power to protect students’ rights.
“It was more so because of everything that was happening with undocumented students and how much that would be affecting our students here,” said Multimedia Coordinator and Delta Pride Coalition member Leo Marquez. “So we decided we need to create some type of task force of those who are available to come together when we notice there are things that are happening politically that we should address as quickly as possible for our students.”
Campus signage directs visitors to “Know Your Rights.” The Dreamers Success Center also regularly hosts workshops covering immigration law updates and constitutional protections.
District police also aren’t supposed to aid any Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers if they were to show up on campus. Instead, they are supposed to direct ICE officers to the president’s office.
“If federal immigration officials were to arrive, our protocol is to escort them to the Office of the President for verification of legal documentation, such as a warrant,” said Murrell, “This ensures that any action taken is in full compliance with the law and respects the rights and privacy of our students.”
