Top Florida universities have agreed that campus police will work with Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) to assist the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in eliminating illegal immigration on university campuses.
As reported in campus reform, five of Florida’s largest public universities reportedly signed an agreement to partner with ICE, making it the country’s first university.
These schools include the University of Florida Gainesville, University of Florida (UF) at Florida Atlantic University (FAU), Boca Raton in Boca Raton, University of Central Florida (UCF), University of South Florida (USF) in Tampa, and Florida International University (FIU) in Miami.
The agreement known as 287(g) allows state and local law enforcement agencies to carry out certain obligations to enforce immigration laws, including identifying and disposing of non-citizens in custody for potential removal.
The university police department trained officers have the authority to suspend, interrogate and arrest illegal aliens,” said Emily Staj, reporter for campus reform.
Campus police should receive additional training, such as a passing exam, comparable to those given to ICE personnel. The training includes the “scope of immigration officials,” “related immigration laws,” and “civil rights laws.”
Certain officers have passed background checks and have “have at least two years of experience as a sworn law enforcement officer.
Some of the enforcement on campus is already happening in the state.
Sturge reports that the visas for eight FIU students have been reportedly fired along with eight UF student visas. A Florid University student was recently arrested and taken into custody by ICE after being handed over to local police
According to campus reforms, the State Department has revoked more than 300 student visas. This number is estimated to be above 800.
