Central Student Government discussed a resolution stating the body’s support against the possible deportation of an immigrant activist Tuesday night, leading to a debate on the legality of lobbying versus advocacy.
Ultimately, the resolution passed.
The assembly heard from By Any Means Necessary, a national coalition that aims to defend affirmative action, immigrant rights and equality, over the resolution, which concerns one of their members, Justin Cheong. Cheong, a University of California, Berkeley alum, was a head member of BAMN at the University. He was arrested in Washington D.C., on his way to a civil rights rally and is currently in jail in Michigan, facing potential deportation.
BAMN representatives told the assembly the group currently has growing support on the issue, including from Herman Davis, the president of Detroit Board of Education, and three state representatives, including state Rep. Robert Wittenberg (D-Royal Oak). CSG President David Schafer, an LSA senior, also signed the petition.
Public Policy senior Joe Ambrose, a CSG representative, said a BAMN petition has more than a thousand signatures from people across Michigan, and U.S. Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) is aiming to expedite Cheong’s release.
“This is a symbolic passing of resolution that we stand in solidarity,” Ambrose, who sponsored the resolution, said.
Ambrose also said the resolution was written by BAMN members who approached him earlier in the month.
CSG debated heavily over passing the resolution, with CSG Student General Counsel Joey Hansel, an LSA senior, expressing concerns about the resolution leading to legal issues.
Hansel, who serves CSG as an adviser on legal concerns, said he understood the purpose of the resolution but had concerns with its content and whether it constituted lobbying, which CSG typically is not allowed to engage in. He suggested the body take the resolution to the University’s Office of the General Counsel and the Office of the Vice President of Governmental Affairs before approving it.
“I wanted to run it by them to see if it exactly had any legal concerns, specifically because it would be the University taking a stance on an ongoing federal investigation,” he said. “Mainly my concerns were … fast-tracking the resolution. I’d rather see it go through the full process so that way I could go through those meetings later this week.”
However, other students disagreed with Hansel’s arguments, stating CSG’s support does not cross the line into the University taking a stance. Public Policy senior Lucky Mulpuri, a CSG representative, also touched upon his own personal experiences with deportation.
“My mom was sent back for four years,” he said. “It is really hard, guys. I was a very young kid and not having my mom around was one of the more difficult points in my life. I can’t reiterate this to you how hard this must be to Justin’s wife.”
Ultimately, the representatives then took out wording to focus on only Cheong’s case and situations before passing it.