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Carroll University Senior Petitions For Sanctuary Campus

Mitch Teich
Carroll University senior Mckenzie Lowe.

A directive from US Attorney General Jeff Sessions called for more aggressive prosecution of people who have unlawfully crossed the border into the United States. Analysts say that would represent a significant shift in policy from the Obama Administration, but would be consistent with President Donald Trump’s statements made during the campaign last year.

Carroll University senior Mckenzie Lowe hopes her work could make things better for undocumented immigrants to this country. Lowe organized a petitiondrive to designate the Waukesha school as a sanctuary campus.  While she says that effort may never come to fruition, it is just part of the awareness she hopes to raise on behalf of immigrants.

"A lot of people I spoke with didn't really understand what a sanctuary campus was, or weren't super informed on the issue in general," Lowe says.

Lowe was born and raised in Oshkosh, and grew up without any of the worries, she says, that undocumented immigrants endure.

Lowe's involvement in social activism organizations at Carroll drove her to take action. "Just hearing stories about younger kids who are afraid to put their names on projects that they've worked on because they don't want attention being drawn to their family, who is undocumented. That just breaks my heart, to hear or read about something like that," she says. "I can't even imagine that burden that they're carrying and that level of anxiety that no little kid should have to worry about."

Since organizing the petition drive, Lowe has received an overwhelming amount of positive support from the Carroll student body. Lowe also heard from Carroll's administration, which politely declined the petition request.

Whether people are for or against more aggressive immigration policies,  Lowe says we shouldn't forget that immigrants flee from life-threatening situations, and that as humans, we should care for each other.

"In this sort of climate, it's important that you are actively showing that you're welcoming, and that you support these different marginalized groups that are under attack right now," she says.