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Sunday, March 23, 2025

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Wildfires prompt evacuation in the Carolinas as New Jersey crews battle their own blaze; Iowa town halls find 'empty chairs'; California groups bring generations together to work on society's biggest problems; and Pennsylvania works to counter Trump clean energy rollbacks.

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Lawmakers from both parties face angry constituents. Some decide to skip town halls rather than address concerned voters and Kentucky considers mandatory Medicaid work requirements.

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Cuts to Medicaid and frozen funding for broadband are both likely to have a negative impact on rural healthcare, which is already struggling. Plus, lawsuits over the mass firing of federal workers have huge implications for public lands.

NJ educators respond to ICE expanded reach on campus

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Wednesday, March 5, 2025   

With Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents now permitted to make arrests at colleges and universities, immigrants' advocates are raising awareness of individual rights on campuses in New Jersey and nationwide.

Education leaders are being encouraged to provide training for students and employees to know their rights if they encounter immigration enforcement on campus.

Tanya Broder, senior counsel on health and economic justice policy at the National Immigration Law Center, said while ICE is permitted to access campus public spaces, private spaces are only accessible with a proper warrant.

"A judicial warrant is something that has been signed by a judge; a federal judge or magistrate, or even a state court judge," Broder explained. "An administrative warrant, however, they look official, but they're signed by the Department of Homeland Security or ICE, or an immigration judge. But those aren't necessarily based on probable cause, and those don't give them the power to enter into nonpublic areas."

It is estimated more than 21,000 undocumented students attend New Jersey colleges and universities. Schools are being advised to designate and train campus officials to review ICE documents and respond to information requests.

Noncitizen students with lawful immigration status are being advised to carry proof of their status with them. They are also being reminded they have the right to remain silent when confronted by law enforcement.

Todd Wolfson, president of the American Association of University Professors and on the faculty at Rutgers University, said there is also risk for those working on campus.

"Twenty-two percent of faculty across the nation are foreign born, with 6% holding nonresident status," Wolfson reported. "Many of these scholars and graduate students are concentrated in our STEM fields. With the freezing of funding for research, coupled with the threats of deportation, there have been major disruptions on our campuses."

Institutions are also being advised to use signage to designate which spaces are not open to the public.


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