USF is decreasing the safety of the campus by signing an agreement with ICE

Editor’s Note: This column was originally printed on April 25th.

The University of South Florida and other Florida State universities have signed agreements with immigration and customs enforcement agencies to create partnerships to implement immigration enforcement on campus. Ron de Santis, who claims that the USF is responding to GOV, claims that the university is cooperating with the state’s efforts to support President Donald Trump in a massive deportation. However, if the USF administration consults research into the impact of these partnerships on the community, you will know that such agreements often result in community members taking greater risk of harm.

These contracts, known as the 287(g) contracts, were implemented several years ago under the Bush and Obama administrations. Under such contracts, sheriffs and officers have the authority to implement immigration enforcement measures against suspected people in the country without permission. But why do officers suspect someone is in the US without legal documents? Given the widespread ethnic and racial stereotypes of undocumented immigrants, people who link this population to Latino, “see parts,” that is, those who “see parts,” that is, they emphasize brown skin and English, or speak Spanish, are likely to be targets of police suspects. It is precisely because of this that the Obama administration has ended the 287(g) program: the broad practices of racial profiling.

Another unintended consequence of these agreements is that they lead to underreporting crimes. If people are afraid of reaching out to authorities, even victims of crimes, can lead to racially profiles as subjects of enforcement or perhaps undocumented people, they are less likely to call police if they need assistance. This also means that if an immigrant or Latinos witnessed a crime, they are unlikely to report it given their fear of being subject to scrutiny.

What does this mean for students, faculty and staff on campus like USF? Certain groups of students and other members are less likely to call campus police even if they require services.

The citizens seem to believe that only those without status will refrain from involving authorities in safety matters. However, given the targets of certain groups that are delayed, such as international students and even US citizens who are suspected of being in the country without approval, members of these groups refrain from involving campus police in public safety matters, even if they have a need.

The USF administration should not be surprised if crimes on campus are not added due to fear that this agreement was caused by many people whose daily life entails being on campus. This decision does not only put students at risk. The decision to partner with immigration and customs enforcement will all be less secure on campus.

Elizabeth Aranda is a professor of sociology and director of the IM/Immigration Wells Research Center at the University of South Florida.