Penn’s status as a “sanctuary” campus could spell economic trouble for the University in light of legislation that will soon be introduced at the state level.
Pennsylvania House of Representatives Rep. Jerry Knowles announced in a Dec. 2 memo that he will propose a bill in January to cut all state funding for universities that declare themselves “sanctuaries” for undocumented immigrants. This story was first reported by Philly.com.
President Amy Gutmann announced that Penn “is and always has been a ‘sanctuary’” in a Nov. 30 email to students. The email said that the University will refuse to allow U.S. immigration officials to come on campus or access administrative information without specific legal authorization.
When asked for comment, Penn spokesperson Stephen MacCarthy referred to a previous statement given to The Daily Pennsylvanian, after similar legislation that proposed ending federal funding of sanctuary campuses had been introduced by Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Knowles’ bill has 26 co-sponsors, including members of both parties, the Republican said in a statement.
"This is just crazy. We are basically thumbing our noses at the taxpayers of Pennsylvania," Knowles told Philly.com. "The term itself, illegal aliens, they are people who should not be here. They're actually taking the places of American citizens."
The Philly.com report added that the School of Veterinary Medicine, which receives millions in state funds, stands to be most hurt by the legislation.
Philadelphia-area Swarthmore College also declared itself a sanctuary campus on Dec. 2. Other Pennsylvania universities, such as Penn State University, Temple University and West Chester University, have not made such a statement.
