CHAMPAIGN — As President Donald Trump began his deportation push in Chicago, the University of Illinois Board of Trustees elected a new chairman, whose father lived in the U.S. without a legal status for seven years.
IPM’s Emily Hays spoke with former deputy governor and now University of Illinois System Chairman Jesse Ruiz.
HAYS: Your father was a migrant worker during World War II, but after an emergency surgery, he lost his legal status. This was before you were born, but how does that background influence your priorities as the chairman of the Board of Trustees?
RUIZ: It reminds me of all the great folks who have contributed to building a great country, some of them born here, some of them who emigrated here, and we are a nation of laws, and I do believe in those laws.
Yes, he was part of something called the Bracero Program that was in existence starting in World War II. And he first came to help pick crops because a lot of farm workers were off fighting wars in Europe and the Pacific in 1943, and so he was helping put food on American tables. He did a number of those contracts, going back and forth for four years, from 1943 to 47. He had an emergency appendectomy, and he went to an aunt’s home in Chicago. He was working on a farm outside of Milwaukee and didn’t report back. That’s when he was, legally, undocumented, from 47 to 55 working in construction in Chicago, working on the railroads. He was really helping build America – or at least Chicago. And in 55 he did return to Mexico to get his status legalized and re-enter the United States with a permanent resident or a green card status. When he was there, that’s when he met my mom. They were married, and they both entered legally in 1956 and settled on the far south side of Chicago where I grew up.
HAYS: So how does all of that impact your priorities as chairman of the University of Illinois Board of Trustees?
RUIZ: My dad only had the opportunity for a third grade education. He was growing up in rural Mexico, and by the age of seven, he had to help. He was the eldest of about 12 siblings, so he had to help on the family farm. That was common to a lot of American families at that time as well. So not a lot of time for formal education. He said he always worked very hard so that I could have the opportunity he never had.
To honor his legacy and his memory – he passed in 2013 – I want to work hard to ensure every child of Illinois, every child across the country who wants to come and avail themselves of a world class university education has that opportunity and that we maintain a world class university for those students to benefit from.
HAYS: The Trump administration is targeting Illinois and Chicago in its push for deportations. What will the University of Illinois system do for students without legal status, and what will it not do?
RUIZ: First and foremost, again, we are a nation of laws, we all have to abide by them, and we will do everything to support like we do for all students to support them.
Something I learned in my years serving on K-12 education boards and in my former role as deputy governor for education, high quality, world class education is by definition, differentiated. A phenomenal third grade teacher can differentiate a lesson plan for 20 different children or 30 different children in the classroom.
We have a few more than 30 kids in the classroom across our three universities in the University of Illinois system. It’s our job to provide the differentiated supports that all of them need so they can all flourish and fulfill their potential and hopefully obtain the training and the skills and the education and passion for lifelong learning that will carry them throughout their lives and hopefully productive, healthy and fruitful lives and careers.
HAYS: So I’m hearing support for every student, including potentially undocumented students, but no specifics.
RUIZ: The specifics are coming out as we’re seeing more executive orders drafted, and again, we’re going to do everything we can to support all our students within the bounds of the law and recognizing that we do have an obligation to all the students who enroll at the University of Illinois to support them.
HAYS: President Trump briefly froze National Science Foundation grants in his second week in office. While that was quickly rolled back, professors are getting emails to stop any activities that might fall under diversity, equity and inclusion. How should the U of I System respond to this?
RUIZ: By abiding by all laws and respecting the guidelines – and at times, the restrictions – that donors and funders place on the dollars we receive from federal sources, from state sources and from private sources at times. We will do everything we can, but we will also continue to honor our values at the University of Illinois to support all our students, to respect every individual, every student, every faculty member, every administrator and all our stakeholders.
HAYS: Polls show Americans are divided on the question of DEI programs in government and schools — what is your case for them?
RUIZ: You can label something whatever you want, but it’s treating your fellow human beings with dignity and respect, which is something that hopefully at every institution of learning, be it elementary high school or higher education.
HAYS: What would you say your top priorities are this year as chairman?
RUIZ: Continuing to support our administrators at the system and at the university levels. The role of the board is largely oversight and governance and at times advocacy. Holding leadership accountable is part of our checks and balances as a board, but primarily it’s to support our great leadership team at the University of Illinois System and at our universities. I’m proud to work with all of them and especially, as we move forward in Urbana.
Chancellor Robert Jones has announced he is leaving and it was announced he’s going to become the president of the University of Washington, which is another thing to be proud of. Illinois has a heck of a farm team for higher education leadership across our country. We’re sad to see some of our folks go and very proud of where being affiliated and working at the University of Illinois has led them to. We’ll continue to support all those folks, and hopefully we can continue to recruit stellar administrators to lead our university forward.
HAYS: At least one student and multiple others in Champaign have been charged with the mob action for the pro-Palestinian encampments in April last year. That’s a felony charge and is a unique response across the state. U of I has told us that the charging decision is up to the state’s attorney, but do you personally think felony charges for a nonviolent student protester are appropriate?
RUIZ: I defer to the law enforcement officials and the legislators who enact our laws in this state. Again, we have to be an institution that respects the rule of law while we respect the First Amendment, which is also a law. There have to be reasonable time, place and matter restrictions to ensure everyone’s safety, respect for for fellow human beings on campus, be they fellow students, faculty, members of the public who walk across our campuses every day.
I think that’s correct. It’s the local law enforcement officials’ ultimate determination what charges are filed and appropriate. We encourage folks to express themselves, but do so peacefully, respectfully, and hopefully these incidents like this that lead to charges can be avoided.
HAYS: Pro-Israel students are cheering a settlement between U of I in Champaign-Urbana and Hillel International that promises to protect Jewish students from prohibited harassment based on their support of Israel. For example, UIUC will not permit student organizations to boycott university sponsored activities because Jewish student organizations are participating. Some Jewish students would like to expand these policies to the rest of the System schools. What do you think?
RUIZ: We’re always happy to review our policies and make sure that policies are in line with our values and respect for every individual for expressing opinions and thoughts. I mean, universities are historically known as a place where people, particularly young people, debate and engage in robust discourse and sharing of ideas.
Hopefully that line of respect for each other never gets crossed. We can disagree without being disagreeable, and that should be something that’s generally followed across all our universities. The specific policies each chancellor will evaluate what’s appropriate, what’s necessary, and if there are any changes to be made. But with that spirit in mind that you know, we want to encourage intellectual curiosity, discourse, amenable disagreements, but never rise into the level of disrespect for anyone.
HAYS: The Chief was officially retired as the U of I mascot in 2007, though T-shirts, hats and other officially-licensed gear is still readily available. Some students have pushed for the Kingfisher bird to be a new mascot. What do you think of that — and will U of I finally get a mascot under your leadership?
RUIZ: I don’t know. It’s under the chancellor’s purview. Not much has been done on that front.
I was honored to go to the Citrus Bowl [in Florida] this year and thrilled to see a great Illinois victory. And even though I’m a class of 88 and I remember the former mascot, I thought it was fine not not having a mascot. So wherever that lands, I’m okay with it. I was just proud to be an Illini, cheering on our football team in that case, and now cheering on our basketball team and other teams currently.
But that’s something the school community will decide over time, and I trust, I trust my fellow Illini to always make the right choice in that regard.