Trump has promised, among other things, to deport millions of undocumented immigrants who are criminals and end an Obama-administration program that grants some young people in the United States without papers temporary relief from the threat of removal. He also at one point proposed barring all Muslims from entering the country, though that pledge has since morphed into one that would instead involve “extreme vetting” of immigrants from certain parts of the world. So in response, students in the U.S. are calling on their universities to support undocumented students and other people who might be vulnerable under a Trump administration by becoming “sanctuary campuses.” That term has no standard definition, though, and while Wesleyan has moved to adopt it, other schools are questioning how feasible becoming a sanctuary campus really is.

The term is generally derived from the “sanctuary city” concept, which also varies in meaning. Broadly, major cities like Chicago and New York have said they will serve as “sanctuaries” for immigrants, typically by saying they will not turn over undocumented immigrants to federal immigration officials. San Francisco, for instance, more than two decades ago passed a law prohibiting local police from holding undocumented immigrants if they are not facing charges or do not have a record of violent felonies.

Students have asked dozens of schools across the country for similar assurances. They want the schools to refuse to turn over the names of undocumented students, for example, and many have asked their colleges to provide confidential counseling and legal services for such students.

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Trump promised on the campaign trail that cities choosing not to cooperate with immigration authorities would “not receive taxpayer dollars.” Trump can’t make that happen by himself; it would require approval from Congress, and the reason for withholding federal funds from cities would likely have to be tied to their proposed use. In previous years, Democrats have blocked attempts by Republicans to cut off federal funding. But Republicans now control the House and Senate as well as the White House, so there’s a chance that future attempts to limit funding for these cities might be successful.

Could a Trump administration, with backing from Congress, also threaten to withhold federal funding for colleges by, say, refusing to issue student loans to students at sanctuary campuses? Could they withhold federal research grants? It’s hard to say right now.

For instance, the California State University system recently reiterated that it would remain a welcoming space for undocumented students. But the chancellor, Timothy White, seemed to acknowledge during a recent meeting of the board of trustees that the system could be legally forced to turn over information. According to the Los Angeles Times, “Unless forced to by law, he said, Cal State ‘will not enter into agreements with state or local law enforcement agencies, Homeland Security or any other federal department for the enforcement of federal immigration law.’”