(Ellie El-Fishawy / Heights Editor)
UGBC President Cami Kulbieda highlighted the Office of Global Engagement’s (OGE) global engagement gateway at the Senate meeting Tuesday night as a resource offering students guidance and support amid increased U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity in Boston.
“We were saying last week that we wanted a central hub for all of these resources, for students who are looking to find information about this particular issue,” said Kulbieda, LSEHD ’26. “The Global Gateway exists as that hub already. I think our best job right now is to put that resource forward.”
Student senators resumed a discussion that began last week about providing resources for international students after students spotted a marked ICE car outside St. Ignatius Church on Sept. 6.
The global engagement gateway provides information about students’ rights during interactions with law enforcement and travel advisories for international students entering the United States.
Addie Weiss, student life committee chair and MCAS ’27, asked whether the resources are intended only for international students and how that group is defined.
“A lot of resources are revolving around international students, and obviously I do think that’s a high-interest group when it comes to this matter,” Weiss said. “But I’m just wondering if that feels accessible for students who aren’t technically international students but are still deeply affected by this situation.”
According to Weiss, it is unclear whether the term “international student” applies only to students who reside abroad when they are not at BC, or if it also includes students with different immigration statuses.
Sophie Wong, international student representative and MCAS ’28, agreed with Weiss and asked for clarification on who qualifies as an international student. Wong said she hopes the global engagement gateway will be useful for all students who are concerned about ICE.
“My experience with both of the offices, OGE and the Office of International Students and Scholars, has been very unclear about how they define international students,” Wong said. “Sometimes I get half of the international emails that get sent to everyone, but sometimes I don’t.”
Newly elected freshman student senators joined Tuesday night’s Senate meeting. They are Chris “Bubba” Curran, MCAS ’29; Maggie de la Fuente, MCAS ’29; Mary Cate King, MCAS ’29; Jonah Paulus, MCAS ’29; Craine Gelia, MCAS ’29; and Renim Risku, Messina ’27.