UTD, alongside every other U.S. academic institution, is no longer granted protected status against Immigrations and Customs Enforcement raids according to a Jan. 21 directive from the Department of Homeland Security.
The 2021 memorandum from former U.S. Secretary for Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas designated universities among various protected institutions that provide essential services, including but not limited to education and medical care. This protected status mandated that immigration action could only be taken there by the Department of Homeland Security with the approval of a judge through a judicial warrant. The Jan. 21 directive reverses that, allowing ICE agents onto university campuses and permitting them to detain individuals in public campus spaces.
“This action empowers the brave men and women in [Customs and Border Protection] and ICE to enforce our immigration laws and catch criminal aliens — including murders and rapists — who have illegally come into our country,” a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said Jan. 21. “Criminals will no longer be able to hide in America’s schools and churches to avoid arrest.”
On Feb. 3, UTD administration sent an email to all faculty and campus staff directing them to the university’s FAQ page regarding its immigration enforcement policy.
UTD requires that its faculty and staff immediately contact UTDPD if approached by an immigration officer, and that faculty and staff are not to make any attempt to determine the validity of a warrant presented by immigration officials.
“Federal immigration officers may enter any public area of a campus,” the UTD website states. “Access to nonpublic areas typically requires an officer to provide a judicial warrant.”
As of publication, UTD has not made any major changes to its policy regarding immigration enforcement on campus. While UTD policy requires that it comply with immigration officials, UTD continues to provide support to its students through the Office of Immigrant and Citizenship Services in cases where they are detained or otherwise encounter immigration difficulties.