[FUN_Mail] security at SfN

[Karen D. Parfitt]

Hi all,
     If you have students here on visas or who are undocumented, you may have heard them express some concern about traveling to the SfN meeting. I’ve asked Nick Spitzer, incoming president of SfN and a resident of San Diego, what the security will be like for the upcoming SfN meeting and what the ICE activity has been like in that vicinity.     Nick’s response, after a pretty thorough check, was "I’ve discovered no current reports of ICE activity at the San Diego Convention Center. This could happen, of course.”  He goes on to say:

"Paula Kara is the senior staff person for the meeting. I’ve provided her response to my question, below. The Convention Center’s policy follows:

'Hi Dr. Morrison and Dr. Spitzer,
SfN’s policy is to follow the protocol established by the San Diego Convention Center (SDCC), which is below.  Non-public space refers to the areas SfN has leased, which includes all meeting rooms, the exhibit halls, and the Sails Pavilion; the hallways and restrooms are considered public.  Private space refers to SDCC offices and ‘employees only’ areas.
Please note: This is our internal protocol and pertains specifically to our employees and business operations. Our clients and business partners should establish their own protocols.

The San Diego Convention Center:
“We fully comply with all applicable federal, state, and local laws and are committed to fostering a respectful, lawful, and cooperative environment. In the unlikely event that ICE requests to inspect non-public/private areas of the premises, we will request they provide a valid judicial warrant that requires our cooperation. Such warrants must be specific, clearly identifying the building and the purpose of the inspection in order for us to voluntarily grant them access. While we are committed to safeguarding everyone's Fourth Amendment rights concerning search and seizure, we will not obstruct authorities.’ ”

Given the quickly changing nature of things during these unprecedented times, it might not be a bad idea for your at-risk students and colleagues to buy the more expensive cancellable/changeable airline tickets to the meeting, in case they change their mind about attending.

looking forward to seeing you in November,
Karen

Karen D. Parfitt, Ph.D.

Chair, Neuroscience

Professor of Neuroscience

       and Molecular Biology

Pomona College

175 W Sixth St

Claremont, CA  91711

(909) 360-3757

Office hours by appt: https://kparfitt1.youcanbook.me






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