Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) has joined a growing list of institutions formalizing partnerships with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). On March 28, FGCU’s police department, in coordination with the university's General Counsel, signed an agreement with ICE. FGCU spokesperson Pamela McCabe said no vote was required for the arrangement.
In February, Gov. Ron DeSantis directed all Florida law enforcement agencies to enter into agreements under the 287(g) program with ICE. This directive includes university and college law enforcement agencies, such as FGCU’s police department. The move grants campus police new powers, which have raised concerns among some students, including Empress Joseph, president of the Caribbean Student Association.
“With this new policy being in action, I believe that it will cause a lot of students to not lean towards the people that is supposed to make us feel safe, especially multicultural students here on campus,” Joseph said. “I feel like a lot of people will be scared that their ability to stay in a place where they came to get their education will be gone.”
Under these agreements, campus police gain authority to perform functions typically reserved for federal immigration officials, such as questioning, arresting, and preparing charges for individuals suspected of immigration violations on university grounds. FGCU is the tenth public university in Florida to establish a partnership with ICE. Other institutions involved in similar agreements include Florida A&M University, Florida Atlantic University, Florida International University, New College of Florida, the University of Central Florida, the University of Florida, the University of North Florida, the University of South Florida, and the University of West Florida.
Students, faculty, and staff were not notified of the change after the agreement was finalized. WGCU learned of the change through direct inquiry and will continue to update the public as more details emerge. FGCU's chief of police, Craig Kowalski, has yet to nominate an officer for the new role, and no action will be taken until the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) is signed by the other involved party, according to FGCU spokesperson McCabe.
Joseph expressed concern about the impact that it’ll have on campus trust.
“That really makes me look to the people who are higher up and who are making these decisions—like, do you actually even care about the students who are here in your institution?” she said.
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