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University Regents Hear Student Demands to Bar ICE Staging; President Outlines Legal, Support and Security Steps
Summary
Students told the Board of Regents they want immediate action to prevent ICE from using campus for enforcement operations. President Joan (as identified in transcript) said the university is "listening carefully" and outlined four steps including legal aid, security measures, and targeted support for students.
Ben Lewis, a graduate student who identified himself at the meeting as president of a campus graduate organization, opened public comment by urging the university to act immediately on student union demands to keep federal immigration enforcement off campus.
President Cunningham told the board the university is "listening carefully and we are taking action," and outlined four priorities: community-based healing and information events; advancing security measures and guidance for interactions with federal agents; free legal representation for students through student legal services; and clear, timely communications via a rapid-response website that logs confirmed reports of federal enforcement on campus. "We are listening carefully and we are taking action," Cunningham said.
Regent Bergstrom told the board the end of a law-enforcement initiative called "operation Metro surge" does not erase its impacts on students and staff, and urged continued attention to trauma and safety. "The end of operation metro surge does not end the impacts on our university, our students, our staff, our faculty," he said.
University officials described concrete support already in place: healing circles and community dialogues across campuses, a suite of resources through student affairs and the Office of Equity and Diversity, and no-cost prescription home delivery for international students. The president also noted a message from executive vice president for finance and operations that, as of the meeting, there were no confirmed reports of federal immigration enforcement on any campus.
The board did not take a formal vote on a new campus policy during the meeting. Instead, several regents and university leaders said they would continue monitoring developments, coordinate with campus leaders and local partners, and update rapid-response resources as necessary. Meeting materials and the rapid-response site were described as the university’s ongoing mechanisms for communicating any confirmed incidents and the supports available to students and staff.
The board moved on to other agenda items after the discussion; later in the meeting it approved a resolution to hold a closed security briefing (see separate article).
