What’s New
As immigration enforcement ramps up under the new Trump administration, some colleges are releasing statements and revised protocols for what faculty, staff, and students should do if they are approached by federal authorities.
The announcements from institutions follow a slew of immigration-related orders signed by President Trump during his first week in office. In response, the Department of Homeland Security issued a directive rescinding a policy that had protected schools and colleges from Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids. Colleges now could be subject to enforcement actions, including arrests by ICE officers, without advance notice.
Around 400,000 college students nationwide are undocumented.
The Details
Previously, immigration officers were required to get approval from DHS — “their agency’s headquarters or an authorized delegate” — to carry out enforcement actions on campuses, thanks to a policy protecting “sensitive” areas. The Trump administration’s move last week reversed guidelines that had been in place for over a decade.
Colleges are still bound by the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act, or FERPA, which prohibits schools from releasing students’ records to law-enforcement officers — unless the request is related to a valid court order or subpoena.
Some colleges have released information regarding what ICE can and cannot do on their campuses. Northern Illinois University published a resource page specifying which areas of campus are publicly accessible, such as library common areas, hallways of academic buildings, and cultural centers.
Other colleges announced plans to comply with law enforcement, but it’s not yet clear what compliance would look like.
When questioned about responding to the new directive during a faculty-council meeting at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill on Friday, Chancellor Lee Roberts said the university would “follow the law.”
“If we’re asked by law enforcement, we’re going to comply with any requests from law enforcement about that or anything else,” Roberts said at the meeting.
Jonathan Holloway, president of Rutgers University, which includes three campuses, emailed senior administrators on Friday advising faculty and staff members and students to contact Rutgers’ police department if they become aware of ICE activities on campus.
“Rutgers is committed to ensuring that any federal enforcement actions on campus adhere to due process, including the requirement of a warrant when necessary,” Holloway wrote in the message, which a university spokesperson provided to The Chronicle.
The Backdrop
Many of these campus guidelines aren’t new. Some colleges have had immigration- and ICE-related policies and resources for years; Trump’s second term has just drawn fresh attention to the issue.
For instance, Marquette University released a statement on Friday listing existing protocols in place that protect students’ privacy.
“For any outside agency that comes to campus, it has always been Marquette’s policy to direct officials to MUPD first to verify there is a legitimate, lawful request and then to respond as required under the law,” Marquette’s statement reads.
What to Watch For
The Trump administration has yet to publish guidance on how federal officials will deal with “sensitive” areas like college campuses going forward.
Miriam Feldblum, executive director of the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, said that although protections have been lifted, that doesn’t mean the Trump administration’s directive is “about prioritizing previously sensitive locations.” The alliance is a group of university leaders that aims to educate the public on how immigration policies affect students.
Feldblum said the withdrawal of the sensitive-areas policy is concerning “because of the anxiety and uncertainty it generates.”
“Colleges and universities are deeply committed to national security, to the support of students,” Feldblum said. “These can be done together, but when you create the uncertainty and fear, then you’re not allowing students who really are coming to learn, to flourish, to be able to do so.”
But the Trump administration’s directive “is not the time to panic,” Feldblum added.
“It’s the time to prepare and collaborate and communicate on campus,” she said.
