Several universities have agreed to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement as the Trump administration seeks to crack down on undocumented immigrants, sparking fear among students who rely on visas.
Under the agreement, local law enforcement, including campus officers, can interrogate students about their immigration status, arrest or detain them and share immigration status information with ICE.
At least a dozen Florida colleges and universities alone have signed agreements with ICE under the 287(g) program, which allows local and state law enforcement agencies to enforce some aspects of federal immigration law.
“It’s scary and nerve-racking,” an undergraduate student at Florida International University in Miami told NBC News.
Florida State University, Florida Atlantic University, the University of Florida, the University of South Florida and the University of Central Florida are just some of the schools that have signed 287(g) agreements with the administration
That comes after Governor Ron DeSantis issued an additional memorandum directing Florida law enforcement agencies to enter into the agreement with ICE.
Other schools could enter into the 287(g) agreements with ICE, especially under threats of having federal funding revoked.
The new partnerships arrive as immigration law enforcement officers have targeted students with temporary visas who have participated in pro-Palestinian protests or have minor infractions on their records.
“I could be next,” a Georgetown University student with a visa, who has written articles about Israel and Gaza, told the BBC.
The strict and quick implementation of the policy has rattled students who rely on their visa to stay in the U.S. for school. At least 600 students have had their visas revoked thus far, the Associated Press estimates.
One University of Alabama doctoral student, who is also an Iranian citizen, was detained by ICE in March. When questioned about the reason for it, the Department of Homeland Security said he posed “significant national security concerns.”
A graduate student at the University of Michigan had his visa revoked in March because he had a 2023 drunk driving infraction on his record.
One student in Texas told the BBC he was afraid to leave his apartment, even to buy law groceries.
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