ACLU of Ohio called on the state’s universities to “refuse attempts” by federal immigration enforcement officials to target illegal immigrants or foreign students on green cards accused of criminal activity for deportation.
“We write to urge your institution to assert its right to resist being commandeered as an arm of ICE and instead to protect the safety and legal rights of its international students from government overreach,” the civil rights organization said in a letter to the presidents of Ohio’s public colleges and universities on Tuesday. “Voluntarily engaging in immigration enforcement activity risks jeopardizing the integrity of your institution and eroding trust in the school community.”
ACLU of Ohio cited cases where Immigration and Customs Enforcement signed 287(g) agreements with schools, expanding local officials’ authority to identify and arrest students by allowing them to effectively act as immigration agents. In Florida, at least 15 educational institutions have signed such agreements with ICE to allow their campus police departments to enforce immigration law, according to Inside Higher Ed.
“Please be aware that your institution is under no legal obligation to enter into 287(g) or similar agreements, or to conduct immigration enforcement on behalf of the federal government,” ACLU of Ohio said in the letter.
Who else is resisting ICE?
ACLU of Ohio’s campaign to block ICE came as a wave of states, institutions, and organizations have ramped up similar efforts.
In April, Gov. Tony Evers (D-WI) issued a memo to state employees directing them on how to approach ICE agents if they visit state offices.
“Do not answer questions, including when an agent asks about someone you know or presents a warrant with an individual name,” the governor said in the memo, adding instructions for state employees on how to call a supervisor or reach out to legal counsel or an attorney if ICE agents come to state buildings.
Last Friday, Evers said the memo’s goal was to provide “clear, consistent instructions to state employees and ensure they have a lawyer to help them comply with all federal and state laws. Nothing more, nothing less.”
In Maryland, Gov. Wes Moore (D-MD) is considering signing legislation that would restrict ICE from targeting “sensitive locations,” such as public schools, libraries, and healthcare facilities. The state legislature passed the Maryland Values Act after significantly watering down an original draft of the bill that would have completely prohibited local law enforcement officers from signing 287(g) agreements.
DC businesses line up against ICE
After seeing ICE activity pick up at Washington, D.C., restaurants in recent days, businesses are blocking the agency’s operations by requesting warrants before entry.
A worker at Chang Chang told the Washington Examiner that agents visited the establishment, saying they were doing an “inspection for I-9 forms.” They left after they were told the manager wasn’t there. However, they returned later and demanded to speak to employees, but the manager said they needed a warrant.
Immigrant advocacy groups in Washington, D.C., are speaking out against ICE targeting restaurant workers, saying establishments have the right to remain silent if questioned and urging them to stand their ground by pressing agents for warrants.
“If somebody comes banging on your door, you have the right to demand that they show you a warrant so that they can enter,” George Escobar, chief of programs and services at CASA, told WTOP. “It’s important for small business owners to understand that although they are open to the public and they welcome the public into their spaces … they do have areas that are private where only they, as owners of the business or staff … can enter.”
Shawn Townsend, head of Washington, D.C.’s, restaurant association, said his group is working with local immigrant support organization CARECEN to prepare restaurants for ICE visits.
“We’ve run through a couple of fire drills where rumors [of ICE activity] were swirling,” he told Axios. “It sucks, but they’re prepared for this.”
How are schools responding?
Schools across the country have also sought to stall or block ICE from entering campus buildings. The Trump administration has stepped up efforts to remove students in the country on green cards accused of illegal or antisemitic behavior or of otherwise being a national security threat.
Last month, Princeton University faculty sent students emails providing tips on how to restrict ICE from academic buildings and dorms. Federal agents could be blocked unless they had a warrant reviewed by the school’s legal team, the emails said, according to the Daily Princetonian.
In another case, Denver Public Schools sued Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem in February over a Trump administration immigration policy allowing raids at “sensitive” locations such as schools. However, a judge ruled against the school system the following month.
In January, a northern California school district circulated a memo to staff, first reported by the Washington Examiner, instructing them on how to block ICE from entering school buildings.
The Pleasanton Unified School District sent out a memo titled “Immigration & Customs Enforcement Response Summary” that provided several ways to prevent ICE operations.
Republicans expand cooperation with ICE
On the other side of the aisle, Republicans are seeking to expand cooperation with ICE.
On Tuesday, Rep. Mary Miller (R-IL) urged Illinois sheriffs to defy Gov. JB Pritzker’s (D-IL) sanctuary law, calling on the governor to “uphold President Trump’s federal immigration policies and cooperate with ICE to deport illegal aliens.”
Florida has become perhaps the most prominent example of states seeking to aid the Trump administration’s mission to deport illegal immigrants.
EXCLUSIVE: NORTHERN CALIFORNIA SCHOOL DISTRICTS INSTRUCT STAFF ON HOW TO STALL ICE OFFICERS
In February, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) announced that all 67 county sheriffs in Florida had signed 287(g) agreements with ICE that would lead to “street-level” immigration enforcement. Florida is the only state in the nation where each county has agreements to carry out the Task Force Model under 287(g), according to the governor.
“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 a statement. “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.”
