Border Patrol conducts random inspections

When international students enter the country, they are recommended to keep their important documents - passport, I-20 and I-94 - in a secure place. This semester, incoming international students were told that they were required by law to keep their I-94 on them at all times. The reason? Random and unannounced sweeps by the U.S. Border Patrol occurring on campus.

Border Patrol vehicles were sighted in Houghton and Hancock on the first week of August when international students began arriving in the area.

This fall, the ACLU MTU Chapter and International Club are teaming up to address the activities.

“Many Americans, much less international students, don’t know what rights they have when they are on U.S. soil,” said Chris A. Anderson, president of ACLU-MTU. "They may be taken advantage of by law enforcement if they are not careful.”

International students have been recommended to also keep their passports and I-20 on their person. “Students have to weigh the risks between carrying their documents and losing them, or being detained for a few hours,” said Dr. Marilyn Vogler, Associate Director of International Programs and Services.

“My primary objection to the activities is the racial profiling involved with the sweeps,” said Ted Bundshuh, president of International Club. The coalition is in contact with two possible victims of mistreatment who may come forward in the future. Tentative plans include a lecture by a lawyer specializing in Immigration Law informing students of their rights and what to do if approached by law enforcement officials and a hotline for students to call in incidents.

The agents expected to patrol campus are headquartered in Sault St. Marie, Mich. located along the U.S-Canadian border. A spokesperson for the Border Patrol said that their activities in Houghton/Hancock are routine and not in response to any specific concerns.