By Jessica Troxell and Sophia Thomas
As deportation and immigration issues rise within the country, the College's general counsel is detailing what to do if outside law enforcement comes to campus.
Tom Flynn, the College’s vice president and general counsel, said more people are now asking what students’ and staff’s rights are regarding search and seizure from outside law enforcement in light of an executive order from President Trump.
The executive order called for enhanced enforcement of immigration laws, where aliens convicted of crimes and those in the country illegally will be deported.
“When the executive order came out around immigration issues, we got some inquiries again about what that would mean for Stonehill, and so we thought it would be a good idea to put out some clarification,” Flynn said in an interview.
While Flynn dismissed rumors of ICE targeting Stonehill College, he acknowledged the sense of unease.
“I certainly don’t think ICE is going to necessarily target Stonehill,” Flynn said. “But with everything happening and executive orders coming out, people naturally have questions and anxieties. Clarification is always helpful.”
As a result, Flynn sent out a campus-wide email to help people understand what public and private spaces on Stonehill’s campus are. Public areas include spaces like the library, ticketed sports events, and public lectures where outside community members attend. However, Flynn said residence halls, classrooms, and the campus quad remain strictly private.
“The expectation is students should have the ability to go back to their dorm, relax, study, and do what they need to do without worrying about someone walking into their building,” Flynn said. “The classroom is for learning, not for public access.”
Flynn noted in his emailed campus letter that outside law enforcement can only enter a private space on campus if they have a warrant or consent from the College.
In an interview with The Summit, Flynn emphasized that the College’s main goal is to protect students and keep them as safe as possible and that institutional consent is only likely to be given in situations where a warrant is involved. The only people on campus who are allowed to give institutional consent are the police chief and Tom Flynn.
According to Flynn, this is not the first time that an email like this has been sent out by the college.
“We put out a memo in 2017 when there were questions about what would happen if someone came with a warrant looking to speak with someone,” Flynn said. “With the new executive order, we received inquiries again, and we thought it would be a good idea to provide clarification.”
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