The Griffin Editorial: On Canisius’ Ice Connection

After the publication of the article, “New Public Safety Contractor Connected to [Local] ICE Violence,” it has come to the attention of The Griffin staff that many students felt that the severity of the topic was downplayed. Some criticized the lack of a clear stance on this connection to a very controversial and polarizing issue, however, there is an ethical commitment to present the news objectively. The Griffin’s intention in writing that article was to report on the situation rather than proclaim the editorial board’s stance on the matter, which we have chosen to provide in this week’s edition. 

At the Feb. 6 United Students Association (USA) meeting J.U.S.T.I.C.E. co-chairs Lizzie Pike and Chris Tolliver made a statement in response to this article and student concerns about this connection. They stated that The Griffin, along with Dr. Harold Fields, vice president for student success, and Randy Szukala, public safety director and site manager for NMS here at Canisius, “completely downplayed people’s actual fears and worries about their safety, regardless of their status.” They continued on to say that it was reflective of a “blatant obliviousness to the actual problem does not reflect us as a Jesuit institution, but rather ignores the core values of cura personalis completely.” The Griffin editorial board agrees with J.U.S.T.I.C.E. that Fields’ response to the situation was insufficient and we condemn the actions of ICE here in Buffalo and across the country. Our goal was not to downplay fears but rather to inform the student population of this connection between Canisius and ICE.

We have over 200 international students here at Canisius, representing around 10% of our total student population, a number of whom have expressed concern about ICE. Canisius prides itself on its appeal to international students – especially with the change from “college” to “university” in spring 2023 – but in today’s socio-political climate, a connection with an organization known for its brutality against those who are not from the United States has the potential to be a deterrent to international enrollment. 

When The Griffin was looking to inquire about the connection between the newly outsourced public safety contractor and the company that runs ICE detention centers across the country, a response from Fields was the reply given from Canisius Public Relations regarding this valid and pressing concern. As part of the school’s response to the questions The Griffin sent last week, Fields stated “Consistent with past practice, Canisius refrains from issuing statements on social or political events unless they directly affect the university’s core operations…As a Jesuit university, Canisius is committed to pursuing the Universal Apostolic Preferences of the Society of Jesus, which calls on all Jesuits and lay collaborators to walk with the excluded in a mission of reconciliation and justice.” Fields’ response falls short on many fronts, particularly by not addressing the safety concerns of students on campus who are at risk of being targeted by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) indiscriminate raids in local communities. 

If Canisius were truly committed to promoting the Jesuit ideal of being people for and with others, its administration would be willing to speak out on this issue that is clearly worrying – if not directly impacting – many of their students. It is one thing to proclaim our Jesuit ideals and a completely separate thing to actually live them out. 

In the past, Canisius has shown a willingness to support these vulnerable communities, most recently in 2023, when President Steve K. Stoute voiced his displeasure with the Supreme Court ruling that overturned affirmative action. Although less common under Stoute, during the tenure of former President John J. Hurley he issued statements on multiple occasions addressing social and political issues. Hurley spoke out against the violence and discrimination against the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community during the pandemic, the events at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 and the racial violence of the summer of 2020 following the deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor. 

The university’s choice to stay silent now is not a matter of precedent but a willful choice, one that cowers to political pressure over the safety of its students.