UNLV students, faculty deliver petition seeking sanctuary campus designation

A group of 30 UNLV students and faculty delivered a petition with nearly 1,000 signatures to university President Len Jessup’s office Monday, asking that the university become a sanctuary campus.

By declaring itself a sanctuary campus, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas would grant protections to immigrant students who are in the country illegally while they pursue their studies.

The sanctuary campus push arose after President-elect Donald Trump said he would end an executive order granting temporary status to immigrant students who are in the country illegally.

The UNLV petition began circulating Nov. 18 and was delivered just days after the campus became embroiled in a national immigration debate. In a Facebook exchange last week, a part-time UNLV professor told a student he’d alert immigration officials if he discovered he had students in class who were in the United States illegally.

Jessup didn’t address the sanctuary campus call directly, but in a statement said, “inclusiveness is at the core of a different, daring and diverse UNLV.”

University spokesman Tony Allen said Jessup knows about sanctuary campus debate and that he and the administration will continue to review and evaluate the issue.

Jessup’s statement added, “We are strongly committed to the First Amendment and the right to free speech, and UNLV will continue to protect its students, faculty, and staff against racism, discrimination, bullying, or other intimidation that threatens the civility and diversity that makes us strong and proud.

“Nothing will change that stance.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Contact Natalie Bruzda at nbruzda@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3897. Follow @NatalieBruzda on Twitter.