By Viri Garcia Gallardo, Executive Editor
Just nine days after CSUDH union members rallied against staff layoffs and system-wide budget cuts, Toros staged another walkout on Feb. 27 to protest what they considered a lack of transparency and communication from the university. Students for Quality Education (SQE) and Students for Collective Liberation (S4CL) organized the rally.
Organizers said the walkout responded to the financial crisis in the California State University system. Next year, CSUDH’s base operating budget will be cut by $12 million, and campus administrators warned that the university must make “painful” decisions to balance the budget.
Those decisions have already included staff layoffs and class cancellations due to low enrollment. In January, just after the semester began, CSUDH issued layoff notices to at least 30 staff members. Demonstrators told The Bulletin they were concerned about how these cuts might affect their ability to graduate on time.
“The budget cuts that are happening—canceling courses—is a huge issue,” said Skyler Bybee, a senior criminal justice student. “I cannot receive the courses I need for my last year. People are losing that and losing motivation to continue schooling here. It’s dividing.”
No money, more problems
Students also voiced concerns about rising campus costs and what CSU saw as questionable spending, particularly its recent $17 million initiative to integrate artificial intelligence into university operations. The decision has drawn criticism from some campus community members, with students arguing that AI investments should not take priority over job security and educational quality.
To offer greater financial transparency and accountability, CSUDH recently launched a website to provide Toros with information about the university’s challenges.
Some demonstrators, especially those impacted by the loss of work-study funds, found little relief in the administration’s efforts to explain its decisions. In a Feb. 25 email, the Financial Aid Office notified students that Federal Work-Study funding had been “fully exhausted” for the rest of the school year.
Student employment was initially set to end on Mar. 7, but CSUDH later reversed the decision. A university spokesperson confirmed to The Bulletin that alternative funding had been secured, allowing students to continue working through the semester. University officials also told The Bulletin that while work-study budget issues occur yearly, an investigation is underway to determine what caused the discrepancy.
Threat of ICE raids top of mind for some Toros
Beyond budget concerns, several protesters—particularly undocumented students—voiced fears about the potential presence of federal law enforcement on campus. They accused the university of neglecting both the safety and financial needs of students from traditionally marginalized communities.
“Honestly, in my opinion, it’s unfair,” said Michelle, a protester who requested to be identified by her first name for safety reasons. “Why are they building new dorms instead of using that money to help those who need it? Everything in this economy is going downhill right now.”
Elvis, another protester who wished to be identified by their first name, called on university leaders to meet the moment on campus.
“Awareness, man—even from the [CSUDH] president and administrators—[President Thomas A. Parham], he’s got to be aware of who is at this university,” Elvis said. “He has to take responsibility and be the president he needs to be to help the undocumented people here on campus.”
The university has previously advised the campus community to notify Campus Police if they ever become aware of any federal immigration activity. The administration also designated specific contacts for students, faculty, and staff in case of such incidents.
In a campus-wide email on Feb. 20, university officials reiterated that CSUDH employees are not required to assist federal immigration authorities or grant permission to enter restricted areas without a judicial warrant.
ASI hosts ‘Campus Safety’ discussion
The CSUDH Immigrant Justice Center (IJC) and Campus Police provided further insight during a safety town hall meeting hosted by Associated Students, Inc. on Mar. 3. IJC interim director Arlin Gonzalez acknowledged that concerns about potential raids are “valid,” emphasizing that certain areas on campus are off-limits to federal law enforcement unless they have the required documentation.
“Classrooms, offices, meeting rooms—there’s a much longer list, but those are the first that come to mind,” Gonzalez said. “These are spaces that you can rest assured that they can’t just come in and start questioning and ask things, they would need to have something to say that they’re here looking for a specific person and they’re going to enter a specific location.”
Chief Carlos Velez reaffirmed that Campus Police do not take enforcement action solely based on immigration status. He explained that if federal agents arrive on campus, officers must follow campus-specific and Chancellor’s Office protocols before taking action.
“What exactly prompted the call? Nonetheless, the lieutenant and I are going to roll out there to figure this thing out,” Velez explained. “We have the responsibility to contact campus counsel, who will then contact general counsel at the Chancellor’s Office.”
In response to concerns that federal agents could show up at Commencement, Gonzalez said there is no protocol yet but that it would be a “really good conversation to have” with University Ceremonies & Events. Gonzalez said such a situation should be treated like any other emergency on campus.
“We as a campus are going to continue to be very mindful and take initiative in creating these protocols, especially for these big events since they are such important events to celebrate such big accomplishments,” Gonzalez said. “We are going to continue to have ‘Know Your Rights’ workshops … the more information we have, the more safe we can feel—and while we can’t always also guarantee that something isn’t going to happen, we want to make sure that we can be prepared.”
