The Simmons community was left shaken after reported Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) sightings last Wednesday, September 17.
On a student-run Instagram account, @simmons.sjp, whose bio states, “Simmons students organizing for a free and liberated Palestine,” a story was posted regarding a DHS officer seen on the Academic Campus. Along with this, students posted on the popular anonymous social media app Yik Yak, reporting that an ICE van was spotted near Residential Campus.
According to a statement provided to the Voice from Dr. Nakeisha Cody, Vice President for Student Success and Diversity, regarding the day in question: “A Student and Exchange Visitor Program Representative (SEVP) from the Department of Homeland Security made a routine visit to Simmons as they do each year in conjunction with our Global Education program. Simmons remains committed to ensuring a welcoming and inclusive environment for our community.”
Mackenzie Aham, a second-year psychology student, reflected on hearing about the reported sightings nearby, saying, “Simmons is such a nice, open community as far as I’ve seen, and now it’s like there’s a big ominous storm cloud overhead.”
The Boston community has become a target of various ICE operations. Most recently, a lawsuit was filed by the Department of Justice on September 4 against the City of Boston, Mayor Michelle Wu, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and the Boston Police Department and Police Commissioner. Following this suit, DHS has launched “Operation Patriot 2.0,” aimed at targeting the city’s sanctuary policies.
In response to the lawsuit, Mayor Wu said that Boston will “vigorously defend our laws and the constitutional rights of cities.”
In a phone conversation with the Voice, a volunteer at the LUCE Defense Hotline disclosed that on September 17, between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., there were two reports near the “Simmons University campus” of people wearing vests reading “ICE.” It was not specified whether the reports were near Academic or Residential Campus. This hotline is aimed at everyday citizens reporting ICE activity in their area and is volunteer-run through the LUCE Immigrant Justice Network of Massachusetts. LUCE’s website outlines their ultimate goal of “‘illuminating’ ICE’s actions so they cannot operate in the dark and bringing light to our community.”
Madeline Finke, a senior in the Political Science major, emphasized the need for sharing resources as ICE’s presence “has led to a lot of students feeling unsafe and intimidated.” They said: “[ICE] has really no place in our community…No one should feel intimidated or unsafe based on their identity here at Simmons.”
Please note the following student resources:
Simmons Counseling Center: email [email protected] to schedule an appointment. They are open 8:30-4:30 on weekdays and offer in-person and telehealth options.
ComPsych: Available through the Student Assistance Program (SAP), ComPsych offers free, confidential support to students 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. SAP can be reached by calling (800) 272-7255 or entering the code “simmonssap” at guidanceresources.com.
Please note the following faculty and staff resources:
AllOne Health: Available through the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), 10 free counseling sessions are provided. They can be reached by entering the code “Simmons” on their website, or by calling (800) 451-1834.
