Your Rights as a Survivor

Regardless of your immigration status, you have rights as a member of the Albion College community and as a survivor. You have the right to:

  • Not be threatened with deportation by your institution, or to disclose your immigration status. This is considered a violation of both Title IX and the Clery Act, as it actively discourages undocumented survivors from reporting.
  • File a complaint anonymously either with the federal government or with your institution. If you fear exposing your undocumented status, you are under no obligation to include your name or identifying information in your complaints.
  • Report your case to law enforcement. Undocumented survivors can apply for federal U-Visas that protect survivors who are working with law enforcement from being deported. It is important to check in with an immigration attorney about U-Visas.

(Source: End Rape on Campus and UC Santa Barbara)

Confidentiality

The Center for Gender Equity (CGE) is a confidential resource on campus; what is said to an advocate will not be shared with any other office on campus or with law enforcement officers without the explicit consent of the survivor. The CGE will never share information about a person’s status as a survivor, or their immigration status, unless requested to by the survivor. CGE understands that after an assault an undocumented survivor may experience an immense amount of stress and feelings of fear and burden. CGE advocates recognize that reporting to law enforcement does not feel like a safe option for all survivors, and that undocumented survivors may particularly experience barriers to connecting with law enforcement. CGE will always support any option a survivor chooses with regard to their healing, and will never disclose any information about a survivor without their guidance and consent.

All faculty and staff, who are not confidential, are required to report all students’ disclosures of sexual violence, relationship violence, and/or stalking to the Title IX office to ensure consistent student services and Title IX policy compliance. A CGE advocate can discuss any student’s concerns one-on-one, without sharing the student’s name, identifying information, or any other details about their visit with CGE to other campus offices – your professors, coaches, RAs, or any other faculty or staff will not be notified you have visited our office unless you explicitly request the CGE’s assistance in working with them.