West Chester University President On Sanctuary Campus Status: 'We're Going To Follow The Law'
WEST CHESTER, Pa. (CBS) – West Chester University's new president officially takes the reins of power today, and he's already made a major decision regarding a campus policy.
Dr. Christopher Fiorentino, who had been the interim president at West Chester since last April, was formally selected by the board of governors for the state university system to become the institution's 15th president.
Fiorentino acknowledges there was a movement to seek "sanctuary campus" status for undocumented students at West Chester. While the new president says the university is supportive of all of its students, he won't break the law.
"From the standpoint of being a sanctuary campus, if that means that we have to act in defiance of the law then we're not going to do that. We're a Commonwealth institution and we're going to follow the law," he said.
Fiorentino is not alone.
Drexel University's president John Fry recently emailed students and staff on the subject and announced Drexel will not join the "sanctuary campus" movement.
Fry says the concept has no basis in law and the university has - quote - "no authority to bar enforcement of the nation's immigration laws on its campus."
