Divisions over ASUCD statement denouncing ICE expose rupture in student Senate

Sens. Aaron Heth, Madeline Nadel and Mia Oscanoa faced criticism for not signing the statement at the Nov. 5 Senate meeting

By LILY KENROW, KIMBERLY AYSON and MICHELLE BEKHTEL— campus@theaggie.org

Tensions flared at the ASUCD Senate’s Nov. 5 meeting over concerns and divisions within the legislature over immigration enforcement actions affecting students at UC Davis and at its sister UC campuses.

The issues came to a head after a sighting of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in the city of Davis earlier in the day and the detainment of UC Berkeley student Paula Valentina Albornoz Hernandez from San Francisco International Airport on Oct. 30. 

On Nov. 3, the ASUCD Executive Office shared a statement on Instagram in solidarity with Albornoz Hernandez and all students affected by ICE presence in the local area.

“To our undocumented, immigrant, international, and mixed-status students, you belong here,” the statement reads. “Your contributions, experiences, and presence are integral to our university system and our general community [...] We stand with the UC Berkeley student, the UC Berkeley community, immigrant communities, and all those affected across the University of California system and nationwide.”

The statement had been signed by all but three voting members of the Senate, save Sens. Aaron Heth, Madeline Nadel and Mia Oscanoa. An anonymous public comment read at the beginning of the meeting and directed to the three asked them why they chose against signing the message. 

“Why did you [Senators Nadel, Heth and Oscanoa] decide to not sign the letter?” the comment read. “If it had been an Aggie, would you have done the same? Would you have ignored the safety and well being of one of YOUR constituents? It’s honestly shameful that we have senators who claim to advocate for student safety and wellbeing while purposefully siding with ICE.”

None of the three senators provided a reason during the meeting for the comment.

Later that night, during the Senate’s open forum, Sen. Helena Awwad directly asked for a response from Sens. Heth and Oscanoa on their lack of signatures on the petition (Senator Nadel had left the meeting early). Both chose not to respond.

Afterwards, Sen. Frida Sol Alvarez took the chance to express her own frustrations with Heth and Oscanoa.

“Paula is not the first, nor is she the last woman to be terrorized and failed by multiple institutions,” Alvarez said. “Today in Davis, we experienced the first confirmed ICE sighting this year, and with that came the emotional labor at the cost of myself and the members of my community.”

Alvarez interrupted herself while speaking to ask for Heth and Oscanoa’s attention; Heth appeared to have been looking down at his phone. She ended her time asking again for their reasoning and calling out Oscanoa, who is Hispanic, for her choice to not condemn ICE.

“So, please, give me a reason as to why you think the persecution by the state of my people, of your people [Oscanoa] whether you claim them or not, is okay,” Alvarez said. 

Both Heth and Oscanoa remained quiet as Alvarez left the room crying.

Internal Vice President (IVP) Rosa Linda Martinez then proceeded to call out Heth’s body language and demeanor.

“Aaron, your smug smile right now and your lack of response right now is the reason I had a mental breakdown today, as to why I don’t feel safe coming to campus, why I feel like I don't have a support system within ASUCD,” Martinez said. “You’re the reason why Senator Alvarez walked out crying, because of your lack of respect. And you’re the reason why multiple members of the senate table today felt unsafe, including me.”

Martinez also spoke on student perceptions of the Senate table and student government as a whole, referencing the recent injunction over Constitutional Amendment (CA) #100, which is under review by the Judicial Council.

“And this is why the rest of the student body makes fun of us,” Martinez said. “This is why they can't take us serious. It’s because we make a spectacle of following the Constitution, yet you refuse to provide any comment on things that actually matter.” 

The petition against CA#100, authored by ASUCD President Luis. L Garcia, was filed by Heth and argues that Garcia broke ASUCD’s rules by introducing the amendment to the Senate himself. 

“It's incredibly disappointing in the lack of empathy we have gotten from both of you throughout this entire year,” Garcia said. “Situations like these highlight a larger concern — the amount of resources that we can dedicate to students that we are wasting on needless matters to boost our own egos, to prove a point. And that's not what student government is meant to do.”

The California Aggie followed up with all three senators who were criticized for not signing the statement after the meeting. Nadel shared via email that she did not see the Slack notification about the statement before it was posted on social media. A similar incident happened earlier in the quarter over a statement shared in solidarity with victims of sexual violence at the height of discourse surrounding the the Cornell Seven rape case, which several senators said they had not been able to read before it was published.

“It is so very unfortunate that the lack of a single Slack notification, and subsequent lack of a thumbs up reaction, has led to this degree of extremist accusation,” Nadel said via email. “I am a proud descendant of immigrants and care deeply about ensuring the safety of all in this country without the looming threat of ICE.”

Oscanoa, in a separate email, said she chose against signing the statement with the information provided at the time.

“I did not sign because I wanted to know all the facts of what happened, and I did not feel comfortable signing onto a statement before I did,” Oscanoa said via email. “That decision does not reflect my stance on ICE's recent actions. I believe they have been overstepping, and that reform is needed.” 

Oscanoa also said she did not respond to what she considered to be attacks on her character by Sen. Alvarez and President Garcia during the meeting to avoid escalation of the issue. 

Heth cited similar reasonings to Oscanoa in his own response.

“I didn't sign on to the letter because I did not feel I had all the facts at hand in this particular situation,” Heth said via email. “I believe that all U.S. government agencies should follow the basic constitutional principles of rule of law and due process. If either are ever usurped, that is an egregious and serious violation, and when ICE does this, I believe they should be held to full account.”

When asked for comment after the meeting, Sen. Alvarez expressed a need for accountability by student representatives and touched on her own experience as a Chicana individual sitting at the table. 

“I believe this situation speaks to the reality that being a representative at the ASUCD senate table is and has historically not been a safe space nor an accessible position for students of color and other underprivileged students reflecting the very need for institutional change, not only within ASUCD, but for our university as a whole,” Alvarez said via email.

Martinez, in her own email, addressed the balance between her role as an unbiased parliamentarian as IVP to preside over Senate meetings with her commitments to her campaign priority.

“While everyone and every Senator is entitled to their own opinions/views, what mainly concerned me was the behavior displayed [by Heth and Oscanoa] while Senator Alvarez was expressing concern and fear for the affected communities,” Martinez said. “I also ran on a platform that committed to uplifting the voices of vulnerable and marginalized communities. That commitment that I made does not vanish because I hold a position that requires procedural neutrality.”

President Garcia also shared his disappointment over Sens. Heth and Oscanoa’s behavior, saying that they “seemingly laughed and belittled the situation.” 

For those seeking resources and support in light of the current ICE presence in the community, UC Davis community members can contact the UC Davis Undocumented Student Resource Center, Student Affairs to report personally witnessed ICE enforcement activity, or the Sacramento Rapid Response Network to report ICE activity or seek help for someone detained in the past 24 hours. 

Written by: Lily Kenrow, Kimberly Ayson and Michelle Bekhtel — campus@theaggie.org