Robin Kaler, associate chancellor for strategic communications and marketing, dispelled a rumor regarding the presence of United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in a campus building on Wednesday.
A reddit post in the r/UIUC subreddit Wednesday afternoon claimed ICE officers were in the Chemical and Life Sciences Laboratory. The post said students were told to lock doors, though it noted that the information was “not 100% confirmed.”
“It appears to be a case of someone misunderstanding something they heard, and then it was passed along from person to person until it was reported to police as ICE agents being in a university building,” Kaler wrote in an email to a University student, who forwarded the email to The Daily Illini. “Our public safety office sent someone to look into it, and no one who was interviewed had actually seen anything.”
According to the University’s ICE FAQ, federal immigration officers cannot lawfully enter limited access areas — such as classrooms or residence halls — without a criminal warrant or voluntary consent of the occupant.
The FAQ says it’s important to note that ICE or other federal officials from the Department of Homeland Security may be on campus for reasons “unrelated to enforcement actions.” The University must report certain information about F-1 or J-1 visa holders to ICE and comply with routine, on-site visa record reviews.
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The University confirmed earlier this month that the federal government revoked the visas of some international students. The DI is actively investigating the number of visas revoked and the reasons given to students, which are currently unclear.
Students and staff who encounter federal agents on campus are encouraged to contact UIPD or the Office of University Counsel before sharing any information or granting access.
