Summary: As immigration enforcement activities increase in the Triangle area, Duke University students and faculty are urging the administration to declare the campus a "Fourth Amendment Campus." This designation would establish clear guidelines on how the university responds to immigration officers entering campus, aiming to protect students and staff. Inspired by local initiatives and driven by growing concerns, the movement calls for transparency, preparedness, and solidarity within the university community.
Growing Concerns Over Immigration Enforcement in the Triangle
Recent weeks have seen heightened immigration enforcement in the Triangle region, unsettling workplaces, schools, and neighborhoods. On Duke University's Abele Quad, this unease has manifested visibly. Approximately 40 students and community members gathered to urge President Vincent Price and senior administrators to declare Duke a "Fourth Amendment Campus" and to clarify the university's response if immigration officers enter campus spaces.
The Push for a 'Fourth Amendment Campus' at Duke
The demonstration, organized by the Sunrise Movement and supported by groups such as Students for Justice in Palestine and the Duke Divest Coalition, featured protesters holding yellow signs with messages like "Price: Protect Your Students" and "ICE out of Duke! Fourth Amendment Campus." Junior Artivista Karlin addressed President Price directly, emphasizing the university's responsibility to protect its community members.
Local Precedents Inspire University Action
The call for a "Fourth Amendment Campus" draws from a model developed by Siembra North Carolina, an immigration and Latino advocacy group. Their campaign for "Fourth Amendment Workplaces" educates employees on their rights and procedures when immigration officers enter a property, including understanding warrants and distinguishing between public and private areas.
With thirty Durham businesses already adopting this designation, demonstrators argue that Duke, as one of North Carolina's largest employers, should follow suit. This push comes amid increased immigration enforcement statewide, including recent operations in Durham and Charlotte that have affected school attendance and workforce participation.
Durham City Council's unanimous declaration of the city as a "Fourth Amendment Workplace" in September sets a local example. Senior Michael Ramos, affiliated with Siembra North Carolina, expressed confidence that Duke can make a similar commitment, calling it a reasonable and necessary step.
University Community Seeks Clearer Protocols
While the "Fourth Amendment Workplace" concept remains mainly in North Carolina, some institutions previously identified as "sanctuary campuses" during the Trump administration. However, such language has been used less frequently recently. Students at the demonstration highlighted faculty uncertainty regarding appropriate responses to immigration enforcement on campus.
Graduate student Paola Dávila Uzcátegui shared that a professor admitted to not knowing how to act if immigration officers appeared in teaching or clinical settings. She stressed the need for preparedness among both faculty and the university. Additionally, she noted that some local employers have allowed staff to stay home with pay during immigration enforcement activities, and schools have ensured continued access to meals and transportation for children. She suggested Duke consider similar supportive measures for its workers.
Voices of Concern and Calls for Transparency
Some participants expressed disappointment with a November 19 university email acknowledging concerns about enforcement activity in Durham. Karlin described the message as "tone-deaf," criticizing the administration's approach. She stated that silence equates to complicity and emphasized President Price's responsibility to protect the university community.
Emily Rogers, assistant professor of cultural anthropology and gender, sexuality, and feminist studies, representing Duke's chapter of the American Association of University Professors, criticized restrictions on faculty speaking to the media unless discussing their research, a concern also reported by The Duke Chronicle.
A Movement Centered on Visibility and Resilience
The demonstration concluded with students gathered around a giant hand-painted monarch butterfly puppet created by Durham artist Jan Burger of Paperhand Puppet Intervention. The butterfly's long migration symbolizes resilience and serves as a unifying image for those advocating protection.
Students closed the event with a reworked version of the labor song "Which Side Are You On," urging President Price to "pick a side or step aside." Karlin announced plans to continue organizing, with demonstrations scheduled for the first Friday of every month starting in February.
While the gathering did not resolve whether Duke University will adopt the "Fourth Amendment Campus" designation, it highlighted a growing expectation among students and faculty for the institution to clarify its stance amid increasing immigration enforcement visibility in the region.
