Dear Chancellor Vitter,

As a state supported university, Ole Miss is a destination for Mississippians of all backgrounds and from every region of our state. Although you have only been in the position of Chancellor of Ole Miss for a short time, no doubt, you know of the school's deep and complex history.

Mississippians reputation as the most hospitable and welcoming is without equal, and we likewise welcome new legal immigrants to our state and our country. This is why it is of the utmost importance that all institutions, especially one with a law school that maintains such a reputation as does Ole Miss, abide by the laws of this state and this country.

It is extremely troubling to hear of university faculty and staff circulating a petition requesting your administration officially declare the Ole Miss campus a so-called "sanctuary" for those who are not abiding by federal immigration laws.

Those immigrants who are in our country illegally, in many cases, are well-meaning individuals who are now caught in an untenable situation. Declaring the Ole Miss campus as a place where they are welcome and encouraged to break the law, not only is a scar on the reputation of the school, it condemns these individuals to a longer life of living in the shadows.

Contrary to what is read from the faculty petition, such a move is not an example of caring. It is an example of using people already in an incredibly difficult situation to make a political statement.

It does a disservice to the students who attend Ole Miss, by creating an unsafe environment through an influx of people whose presence, by definition, cannot be monitored sufficiently to ensure the safety of anyone on campus, including those given sanctuary.

Most importantly, it is a serious breach of leadership that would allow an institution like the University of Mississippi to even flirt with the idea of condoning and protecting lawbreakers.

I implore you and your administration to act immediately, and to unequivocally denounce any effort by any employee or student of the University of Mississippi to create "sanctuary" for illegal activity, or to intentionally misrepresent to law enforcement or federal agents their knowledge or involvement in keeping suspected illegal immigrants from being questioned by law enforcement officers.

Sincerely,

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