University of North Florida partners with ICE, allowing campus police to enforce immigration laws, prompting unease among international students.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The University of North Florida has formalized a partnership with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), enabling trained university police officers to enforce immigration laws.
The Memorandum of Agreement, executed on July 7, incorporates UNF’s University Police Department into ICE’s 287(g) Program—an initiative that grants local law enforcement limited powers for immigration enforcement.
Currently, no officers at UNF have received ICE training, and the university states that no training sessions are planned. However, the agreement is already causing apprehension, particularly among international students on campus.
Fred John, a graduate student pursuing an MBA in Finance, moved from Uganda to Jacksonville in December 2023 on a two-year student visa.
“I was flabbergasted, perplexed, and worried,” John said.
He told First Coast News the announcement has left many international students feeling unsettled.
“They think to themselves, I’ could be doing whatever on campus and then somebody could just come in. You know, ask me about my status,’” said John. “It would just bring more worry.”
UNF sent a memo to students and faculty this week explaining the agreement. The university emphasized that the move was in response to a directive issued by Gov. Ron DeSantis earlier this year.
“No UPD officer has been trained by ICE, and no training is scheduled. UPD continues to conduct business as usual,” the statement reads.
Still, for students like John, the decision changes how they view safety on campus.
“Spaces that were treated basically like safe haven—churches, you know, some workplaces—and then now campuses… I think it’s a bit appalling that it’s going to that extent,” he said.
First Coast News has reached out to UNF to ask whether they plan to schedule ICE training for officers in the future. As of Tuesday evening, we are still waiting for a response.
We’ll continue to update this story as more information becomes available.
