Campus police departments at Florida universities will soon become the next arm of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to aid in the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration.
Five of Florida’s largest public universities have reportedly signed agreements to partner with ICE, making them the first universities in the country to do so.
The list includes the University of Florida (UF) in Gainesville, Florida Atlantic University (FAU) in Boca Raton, University of Central Florida (UCF) in Orlando, University of South Florida (USF) in Tampa, and Florida International University (FIU) in Miami.
These universities signed 287(g) agreements, which authorizes ICE “to delegate to state and local law enforcement officers the authority to perform specified immigration officer functions under the agency’s direction and oversight.”
Under ICE’s directive, trained officers at university police departments will have the authority to stop, interrogate, and arrest illegal aliens.
President Donald J. Trump’ executive order titled Protecting the American People Against Invasion lays out the terms of the partnerships between ICE and local law enforcement.
The order authorizes state and local law enforcement agencies “to perform the functions of immigration officers in relation to the investigation, apprehension, or detention of aliens in the United States under the direction and the supervision of the Secretary of Homeland Security.”
State and local law enforcement agencies participating in the 287(g) program can nominate officers to undergo training to carry out the functions of ICE.
Select officers will “be nominated, trained, and thereafter be approved by ICE to perform certain functions of an immigration officer under the direction and supervision of ICE,” according to a memorandum from ICE.
Candidates will undergo mandatory training under ICE instructors and “pass examinations equivalent to those given to ICE officers,” the memo states.
Trainings include “the scope of immigration officer authority,” “relevant immigration law” and “civil rights laws.”
Nominated officers must pass a background check and have “at least two years of total sworn law enforcement officer experience,” ICE’s website states.
The partnerships between ICE and campus authorities comes amid the Trump administration’s crackdown on student visas.
Campus Reform previously reported that the State Department had revoked more than 300 student visas. This number is now estimated to be over 800, The New York Times reports.
The visas of 18 FIU students have reportedly been terminated, according to NBC Miami, along with 8 UF student visas, according to WCJB.
“During your stay in the U.S. in F-1 status, you are subject to many complex immigration law and regulations that relate to your legal status here…it is your responsibility to know and abide by the law in order to maintain valid legal status,” FIU’s Office of International Student & Scholar Services states on its website.
Dozens of UF students gathered to protest “ICE Off Campus” after one student was recently arrested and detained by ICE for failing to maintain proper documentation.
The 27-year-old UF student from Colombia, Felipe Zapata Velásquez, was arrested by local police following a traffic violation where authorities found his vehicle registration and driver’s license to be expired. Following his arrest, he chose to self-deport.
The protest was organized by UF’s student organization Young Democratic Socialists of America, which issued demands to the university administration to facilitate Velásquez’s “return to UF to complete his degree.”
The student group also demanded UF “hire an immigration attorney” to provide services to undocumented students.
UF currently employs nine advisors to assist foreign students with information regarding F-1 visas, fulfilling requirements, and maintaining legal status.
Campus Reform has contacted the universities mentioned in this article for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
This article was originally published at campusreform.org
