Several universities in Florida have entered into cooperative agreements with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) amidst ongoing efforts by state leaders to support the Trump administration’s intensified crackdown on immigration.
The University of Florida announced on Friday that it has signed the 287(g) agreement, which empowers local law enforcement to function as immigration officers.
“We can confirm that we have signed the 287(g) agreement,” a university spokesperson informed CNN. According to the Department of Homeland Security, this agreement allows ICE to delegate to local officers “the authority to perform specified immigration officer functions under the agency’s direction and oversight.”
This development occurs as the Trump administration continues its focus on foreign nationals associated with prominent American universities. Initial high-profile cases involved individuals accused of supporting terrorist organizations, exemplified by Mahmoud Khalil’s arrest following pro-Palestinian demonstrations at Columbia University.
Related article Over 500 student visas revoked as the government broadens grounds for deportation CNN’s data indicates that over 525 students, faculty, and researchers across 88 colleges and universities have had their visas revoked this year, as an increasing number of student deportation threats involve visa revocations based on relatively minor offenses, such as years-old misdemeanors.
Four students at the University of Florida have had their visas revoked, the university’s director of public affairs told CNN on Friday.
Ad Feedback The potential for increased immigration enforcement could generate further tension on the University of Florida campus. On Wednesday, crowds gathered there to protest the deportation of a Colombian student, according to CNN affiliate WCJB. Demonstrators told WCJB that international students are fearful following the deportation.
The agreement in Florida permits local officers to question individuals suspected of being in the country unlawfully and “to serve and execute warrants of arrest for immigration violations,” according to a statement released by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in February concerning other law enforcement agencies in the state that had signed similar agreements.
The University of Central Florida and the University of South Florida have also signed agreements with ICE, as reported by CNN affiliate WFTV. CNN has contacted Florida International University and Florida Atlantic University regarding news reports suggesting their campus police have taken similar action.
Statewide in Florida, 200 state, county, and municipal law enforcement agencies have entered into 287(g) agreements with ICE, and over 40 additional agreements are pending, according to DHS.
