On April 28, a new security protocol was established on campus. All Union buildings, with the exception of Reamer, the Nott, and the entrance to Grant Hall, will require a Union ID to enter year-round.
This new information was supplied to the community via email from the Office of Communications, stating that the change does not come from any recent threatening activity in Schenectady, however, “it comes from ongoing conversations with members of our community, many of whom have expressed that they would feel more secure in their work or classroom space if this change was made.”
There is no doubt that safety, both the perception and especially its reality, is an important goal for a college campus. Still, I am confused by the decisions about which buildings are becoming locked or not. While the Nott is a historic building and designated a National Historic Landmark, and Grant Hall is our admissions building, necessitating that both of these buildings remain open, Reamer is a little different. The building houses a few dining options, offices that support Residential and Greek life, and the bookstore.
Due to the dining services, Reamer constitutes a restaurant, requiring the doors to stay unlocked. With these few offices and food services, Reamer is more similar to Old Chapel or Olin than the unlocked spaces of Grant Hall and the Nott.
However, that is not the primary purpose of this article. Reamer houses affinity groups and organizations that have felt the heat of increased security risk in recent months. Speaking with a source familiar with the policy discussion, they mentioned the increased hate crime incidents rising nationwide. They said these events have added pressure to lock more buildings on campus with Union ID access. One would wonder why the building hosting the offices of religious and spiritual life, as well as the Office of Intercultural Affairs, would not also be locked to help promote the security we would expect in the library or ISEC..
Furthermore, the increasing incidences of ICE deportation and detentions have gained much attention in the news, and rightfully so. President Trump’s fantasizing about deporting people to El Salvador regardless of citizenship status, as well as recent reports of many deportees having been ripped from their communities “on accident” due to “administrative error,” should give pause to all of us. The warrantless arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, with ICE agents erroneously claiming that his student visa had been revoked, only to find that he was a lawful permanent resident, a status they would also claim had been rescinded, should also concern anyone interested in political organizing on campus for Palestine or any other cause.
Union could help prevent these unlawful acts by locking all doors, as ICE agents cannot enter locked buildings without a warrant. Notably, as of the writing of this piece, the Reamer Campus Center would not be locked.
With these lockings, safety for Union students has been taken more seriously; however, safety policies must be consistent. It’s truly a delicate time in the world, and it’s valuable for the campus community to access the same safety standards in all buildings, or be informed further about ICE raids.
Speaking with some admin about this policy change, it’s clear the school must be forthright that this policy is meant to protect people from deportation, as you can not protect a community with thought without telling them you’re doing so.
If we are going to lock buildings based on safety, we should do so in a manner that protects people both from theft in the library and the extrajudicial deportations increasingly becoming emblematic of the Trump administration, equally.
