FLORIDA - Florida Atlantic University’s Police Department is seeking to join a federal immigration enforcement program that would grant campus officers the authority to question and detain individuals suspected of being in the country unlawfully.
The department has submitted a request to partner with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) under the controversial 287(g) program, a move that has stirred debate across the university community.
The 287(g) agreement allows local law enforcement agencies to collaborate directly with ICE, enabling officers to carry out certain federal immigration duties.
If approved, FAU’s police force would become one of the first university police departments in Florida to enter such a partnership.
FAU is known as one of the most culturally diverse universities in the state, with more than 31,000 students across six campuses, including roughly 2,500 international students on visas.
The proposed agreement has raised questions about how immigration enforcement might impact campus life, particularly for undocumented students and those in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
The university issued a statement explaining that the move follows a directive from Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who earlier this year instructed all state law enforcement agencies to work more closely with federal immigration authorities.
While some see the partnership as a step toward stronger immigration control, others worry it could foster fear and distrust among the student population.
As the request is under review, FAU stands at the center of a broader statewide conversation about immigration enforcement in higher education.
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