MIAMI — After Florida International University’s police department entered into an agreement with the federal government to carry out immigration enforcement on campus, some students say they are terrified.
“It’s scary and nerve-racking,” said an undergraduate at the university.
The student, who’s not being identified because he lacks legal immigration status, told NBC News he came to the U.S. when he was 5 with his family after they were threatened by gangs in their native El Salvador. He said he was very focused in middle school and high school and took many Advanced Placement classes, knowing he had to work harder to have a shot at college.
Now, the student is not sure if he’ll continue at FIU next year. For now, he said he’s avoiding certain parts of the university he considers risky. “I’ve been trying to not go to the main areas of campus where police are,” the student said.
FIU is one of a number of universities in Florida that have signed agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement under the 287(g) program, which trains local law enforcement officers to interrogate immigrants and detain them for potential deportation.
In addition to FIU, the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida State University in Tallahassee, the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, and the University of South Florida in Tampa have in place agreements with ICE.
Florida is the state with the most local agencies signing 287(g) agreements, including all of Florida’s 67 county sheriffs. Dozens of cities have signed on, including some with large immigrant populations like Hialeah, Miami Springs and West Miami.
It’s part of Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’ sweeping immigration measures, which are aligned with President Donald Trump’s pledge to carry out the largest deportation effort in U.S. history.
“Florida is setting the example for states in combating illegal immigration and working with the Trump administration to restore the rule of law,” DeSantis said in February about the agreements with ICE. “By allowing our state agents and law enforcement officers to be trained and approved by ICE, Florida will now have more enforcement personnel deputized to assist federal partners. That means deportations can be carried out more efficiently, making our communities safer as illegal aliens are removed.”
At FIU, where over 63% of the student population is Hispanic or Latino, the cooperation has alarmed many. Early in the week, many FIU students on campus seemed unaware of the new collaboration with ICE, but among those at risk of deportation, the fear is palpable.
Faculty and students have mobilized and held protests against FIU’s decision to collaborate with ICE. At a protest Tuesday, students held a banner that read “No ICE @FIU.”
In an emailed statement, FIU said their police department “has signed a cooperation agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in compliance with Governor Ron DeSantis’ directive to law enforcement agencies.”
ICE did not immediately respond to a request to comment.
On Friday at a faculty senate session, professors issued a resolution asking FIU President Jeanette Nuñez and the campus police chief to withdraw from the agreement with ICE. Nuñez was DeSantis’ former lieutenant governor who became FIU’s acting president in February, following a board vote requested by the governor.
‘I try to act normal’
After nearly four years as an undergraduate at FIU, a student said he was looking over his shoulder.
The student requested anonymity because he lacks legal immigration status. He came with his parents from Central America when he was 9.
“It feels like I’m being persecuted even though I haven’t done anything,” he said. “I feel more anxious. I don’t know why but I see more police on campus recently. I try to act normal and dress nice.”
The student said that when he and other undocumented students found out about the collaboration, “everyone was scared. People cried. Everyone feels it’s unfair.”
One FIU professor described the atmosphere as “reminiscent” of Latin American universities and what it was like in the Soviet Union. The professor’s name is being withheld because they’re not authorized to speak in areas outside their expertise.
“This is how it used to be in Latin America. The government would look into the university to make sure that you were towing the line,” the professor said. “We’re going in that direction now.”
“The campus police is here to protect students from crime. They are not supposed to enforce the policy of the federal government. Immigration policy is federal policy,” the professor said.
The cooperation with ICE comes as the Trump administration has cracked down on some foreign students, revoking their visas and ordering them to leave the country immediately. At least 36 students in Florida have been stripped of their visas, 18 at FIU.
The administration’s actions are a stark departure from the policy set in place over a decade ago that restricted federal immigration agencies from carrying out immigration enforcement in sensitive locations like schools and churches. The Trump administration ended that guidance in January, making students on college campuses potential immigration enforcement targets.
The program has been revived under the Trump administration.
Universities in Florida have seen a number of changes under DeSantis. Teaching critical race theory has been banned; centers to promote center-right ideas have been created; a recent law limits the content taught at public universities; and multiple faculty members have been terminated after the state adopted post-tenure reviews of professors.
The Dream.US, an organization that awards college scholarships to “Dreamers” — young adults who’ve been in the U.S. since they were very young but lack legal immigration status — announced it’s withdrawing scholarships for hundreds of students in eight Florida universities. Gaby Pacheco, president of Dream.US, cited Florida’s decision to end in-state tuition for students without legal immigration status — which takes effect in July — as well as the universities’ 286(g) agreements with ICE. “We do not feel our students will be safe on campus,” Pacheco told the Miami Herald.
Melissa Tavara and Katerin Crespo, both theater majors at FIU, said they worried about how the campus police will carry out their new duties as they walked across campus on a recent afternoon. Both are U.S. citizens but worry about racial profiling.
“How else would you look for these students,” said Tavara.
Crespo said, “This creates fear. It’s an international school. We are supposed to be a melting pot.”
