New Immigration Coalition Forms at Lehigh

Two years ago, amid the liveliness of the first weeks of a new academic year, Vicki Jagdeo ’21 sensed a certain quietness around the Lehigh campus—not the usual type of quietness, as there was certainly an energy among students who were reuniting after summer vacation. Instead, Jagdeo was noticing a lack of conversation about immigration, even as the issue of U.S. border security raged in the news. 

Interested in immigration justice, Jagdeo, then a first-year student, turned to one of her professors, Germán Cadenas, for support in increasing awareness on campus about U.S. immigration policies.  

Through their conversations, the idea for an Immigration Coalition bloomed. Now Jagdeo and fellow students who share her passion—including Vanessa Singh ’22, Adriana Perez-Flores ’22, Daniel John ’22, Yamelin Jaquez ’22 and Julio Martinez-Cuin ’22—have created the campus coalition.