Supporting Students

Ways to support undocumented students:  

  • Create a welcoming environment. 

    • Refrain from inquiring, joking about or assuming someone is undocumented, and ensure you treat everyone equitably and respectfully. 

  • Advocate for a broad perspective when opportunities arise, such as serving on committees. 

  • When talking about the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), also reference the Oregon Student Aid Application (ORSAA). 

Guidance on what to do if engaging with immigration:

As of Jan. 28, 2025, this refers to engagement with federal agents enforcing federal laws, which could be ICE, Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), U.S. Marshalls Service, or the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), etc.

For all: 

  • Staying calm is essential for everyone’s safety. Interference with law enforcement activity is strongly discouraged. The federal government has considered warning or concealing a targeted person as obstruction.    

For employees: 

  • If you receive a request or warrant for student or employee information, refer the matter to the Office of the General Counsel. It is OSU’s standard practice to refer all federal immigration enforcement officials and related inquiries to the OSU Office of the General Counsel at (541) 737-2474. Consult the Office of the General Counsel before responding to any request for immigration information. 

  • If a member of the OSU community is detained or arrested on an OSU location or campus and you witness it, do not directly interfere. Rather, stay calm and gather as much information as possible without direct interference, such as documentation of date, time, location and any information related to the agency or agencies involved. This could include gathering official agency names and badge numbers. Then immediately report this information to the OSU Office of the General Counsel at (541) 737-2474 and provide your contact information. 

  • Public areas of campuses are open to the public and, accordingly, to law enforcement. Access to restricted areas is not automatic — generally federal law enforcement must produce a valid warrant before entering restricted areas (e.g., classrooms, dormitories, locked rooms, etc.). Refer any federal law enforcement requests to enter non-public areas to the OSU Office of the General Counsel.  

For students: 

  • While the university’s Office of the General Counsel cannot consult on individual cases or personal matters, ASOSU Student Legal Services provides services to ASOSU-fee paying students through Access the Law. 

  • Similar to the employee guidance, if a member of the OSU community is detained or arrested on an OSU location or campus and you witness it, do not directly interfere. Rather, stay calm and gather as much information as possible without direct interference, such as documentation of date, time, location and any information related to the agency or agencies involved. This could include official agency names and badge numbers. Then immediately report this information to the OSU Office of the General Counsel at (541) 737-2474.