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Chants of “We will not put up with ICE” and “We stand with international students” filled a campus courtyard last week at the University of Delaware.

Some 200 students had gathered to protest the Trump administration’s revocation of eight UD-sponsored visas for students to study there or work in the United States, and called on Delaware’s flagship university to do more to protect its 2,200 international students.

Three of those at UD who had their visas or legal status terminated are graduate students, and five were doing post-grad work, according to an alert the university provided April 10. The notice came as the Department of Homeland Security under President Donald Trump began revoking visas at campuses in the region and across America — a number that has since surpassed 1,000.

Dennis Assanis, UD’s president, and other school leaders assured the campus community in the alert that the Newark-based school “had no advance notice of or involvement with these decisions by the federal government.” Assanis stressed that he knew of no student “being arrested or detained” and that UD officials were not aware “of a federal law enforcement presence on our campus related to these matters.”

The school is also providing information on its website to answer questions from concerned students and employees.

Citing news reports from around the nation, the website says that federal actions at UD could be “occurring as a result of past law enforcement issues, visa infractions or failure to maintain immigration status, and protest activities.”

UD is also offering its international students and workers a “free 15-minute, one-on-one consultation with immigration attorneys,” the website says.

The students who gathered outside Old College Hall off Newark’s Main Street for some 90 minutes last Wednesday called out both the Trump administration and the school’s leadership. Some faculty members attended but did not address the crowd.

Nora Lucas, a Kansas native working on her doctorate in geography at UD, participated as a member of the university’s Graduate Student Mutual Aid group.

“These status terminations just kind of came out of nowhere and then we’ve just been working ever since to try to get resources out to people,” Lucas told WHYY News. “But it’s definitely been shocking and it’s pretty terrifying for international students, especially in the beginning.”

The protesters decried the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, yelling that they didn’t want so-called ICE agents on campus. They complained that Secretary of State Marco Rubio “brags about deporting students for exercising their First Amendment rights.”

Some held signs railing against deportations, visa revocations and even the arrest of protesters at other campuses. One placard waved by a young man proclaimed: “My classmate isn’t the threat. ICE is.”

UD’s website informed students, however, that immigration enforcement agents are not required to notify university officials if they go to public areas such as its grounds, library or student centers, which are places anyone can enter.

But to enter private areas such as dormitories, ICE agents must have a warrant signed by a judge and an arrest warrant if they plan to detain someone, the school said.

UD also linked to a webpage from the Delaware Attorney General’s Office that outlines the rights people have if approached by ICE agents.

But Emma Abrams, co-chair of UD’s Young Democratic Socialists of America chapter, which helped organize the rally, called on the school to be a more strident defender of its student body.

“We believe deeply that these visa revocations as they are happening currently are illegal and the university should not be complying with illegal visa revocations,” said Abrams, a junior from Charleston, South Carolina, who is majoring in environmental and natural resource economics.

Abrams said her group has tried to meet with UD’s Board of Trustees, which includes Assanis, to discuss the issues, but essentially was ignored — a response she said is typical.

“They really don’t interact at all, day to day,” Abrams said.

Assanis would not speak with WHYY News about the revocations or the students’ concerns, but the school shared its notice to the campus community, including the webpage with questions and answers, and a statement issued after the demonstration.

UD “takes very seriously all matters pertaining to the wellbeing and safety of our international students and scholars,” the statement said. Officials “will continue to support them while remaining in compliance with all applicable laws … and providing them with necessary support resources, including access to various university services and outside immigration legal counsel.”

Gov. Matt Meyer has named environmental lawyer Jameson Tweedie as his nominee for state public advocate.  

Tweedie has spent several years working on climate and energy issues in Delaware, including in the Environmental Unit at the state Department of Justice and the state Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control’s Climate, Coastal and Energy Division.  

The state public advocate lobbies for “the lowest reasonable rates for residential and small commercial utility consumers” – rates that would maintain fairness, consistency and continue to provide “reliable utility service.”  

Meyer feels Tweedie will not only “hold utility companies accountable by aggressively challenging unfair rate hikes” but also fight for accessibility and transparency for Delawareans.  

“[Tweedie] will work to maintain consumer-friendly policies and ensure our state’s most vulnerable populations are not left behind as we continue to meet our state’s energy needs,” Meyer said in a statement.  

The nomination comes at a time when Delaware’s largest water provider, Artesian Water Co., is seeking a 13% rate increase and legislators are calling on the Office of Public Advocate to help reduce electrical power costs, following a wave of complaints over skyrocketing Delmarva Power bills.

Meyer has also recently named Joshua Sanderlin as his nominee for state marijuana commissioner. 

Both Sanderlin and Tweedie now await consideration from the state Senate.  

Olivia Montes covers state government and community impact for Delaware Online/The News Journal. If you have a tip or a story idea, reach out to her at omontes@delawareonline.com.  

FTI Consulting, which was tasked with shepherding the distressed health system’s finances, issued a statement thanking employees, patients and parties who offered solutions.

“As Court-appointed receiver, we are disappointed an alternative resolution and sale could not be reached,” the receivership said.

Crozer began transitioning operations in an attempt to sustain itself in recent weeks in accordance with FTI’s service line transition plan. Main Line Health raised its hand to absorb Crozer’s OB-GYN services. Taylor moved to axe home care and hospice units as early as June.

“The ‘FTI plan’ was one of recovery and exploration of a possible sale, not closure,” the receivership said.

A bankruptcy hearing related to the closure notices is set for Tuesday afternoon.

‘Disappointed’ Pa. officials seek ‘to hold Prospect accountable’

Representatives from the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General were heavily involved in sale negotiations. In a statement, spokesperson Brett Hambright said the office was “deeply disappointed” by the closure news.

In the end, office leaders said the “damage inflicted” by Prospect’s former owner, private-equity firm Leonard Green & Partners, “who prioritized their own wealth over the well-being of a community, was too much to overcome.”

The attorney general’s office pledged to continue working through the bankruptcy process to recoup money owed to the Commonwealth “to the greatest extent possible in order to hold Prospect accountable for actions that caused this closure.“

Gov. Josh Shapiro accused Prospect of pillaging the hospitals “for their own personal gain” and committed to working alongside the attorney general in the bankruptcy case.

“And we must ensure this never happens again by passing legislation to get private equity out of the health care business in Pennsylvania,” Shapiro said in a statement.

Crozer is integral to shaping the county’s history and economy. The Delaware County Legislative Delegation said in a statement that they’re “furious.”

“Delaware County legislators, Governor Shapiro’s office, and The Office of the Attorney General have been working night and day for months to stop the hemorrhaging Prospect’s dealings created while finding bridge funding to keep Crozer open under new ownership,” the lawmakers said.

Pennsylvania and Delaware County put up a combined $20 million in taxpayer money in February to give the receiver enough cash to keep Crozer running for at least 30 days.

Prospect first signaled the possible closure of the hospitals when money for payroll ran dry in March. A $7 million cash infusion from the Foundation for Delaware County avoided closure at the time. A civil lawsuit nearly blocked the flow of more cash, but  the community nonprofit eventually OK’d another $13 million for hospital payroll and overhead.

Bankruptcy attorneys for Prospect asked for more help for Crozer in April before U.S. bankruptcy Judge Stacey G. C. Jernigan of the Northern District of Texas, requesting another $9 million to prolong negotiations. Penn Medicine and Delaware County answered the call, although they came up $3 million short of Prospect’s request.

Negotiations between Prospect and the unnamed consortium of buyers have been underway ever since. Crozer CEO Tony Esposito stepped down Friday. Greg Williams, president of Prospect’s East Coast operations, assumed Esposito’s role in the interim.

“At a time when the federal government is planning massive cuts to Medicaid and Medicare and when most hospital systems are already in the red due to below-cost reimbursement from those public-payor programs, bailing out Crozer became a problem without a solution,” the delegation said.

Foundation for Delaware County President Frances Sheehan said in a statement that the closure of two more hospitals “will significantly reduce emergency healthcare options.”

“Our maternal health team has been working closely with County Council President Dr. Monica Taylor and healthcare leaders for months,” Sheehan said. “We are grateful to Riddle Hospital, Nemours, and CHOP for planning for a significant increase in births and pediatric care, and to all our region’s health systems for partnering with the Delaware County Health Department to coordinate and implement an emergency plan that our citizens will need now that Crozer Health is closing.”

Editor’s note: The Foundation for Delaware County is a WHYY supporter. WHYY News produces independent, fact-based news content for audiences in Greater Philadelphia, Delaware and South Jersey.