Recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement Activity

I recognize and understand that recent reports about increased Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity nationwide have raised questions and concerns on campus and in our broader community.

The UW–Madison Police Department (UWPD) is committed to providing exceptional service to all members of our community regardless of immigration status. I want to reach out and share information about the policies and practices followed by our police department and the university generally:

• UW-Madison will not provide information on the immigration status of its students, faculty or staff unless required to do so under force of law.

• UWPD will not participate in immigration enforcement actions conducted by ICE. Our resources are limited and such enforcement is not part of UWPD’s mission.

• ICE officers must use appropriate legal processes if they are on campus and wish to contact individual students about enforcement-related issues. For example, they generally cannot enter an on-campus private residence without a proper warrant.

• UWPD officers shall not detain or arrest an individual solely based on a suspected violation of immigration law and should not routinely inquire to an individual’s immigration status. An individual’s immigration status is immaterial to our mission and will only be relevant if the individual is involved in serious crimes. An individual’s immigration status has no bearing on their ability to file a police report with UWPD.

I also want to make you aware of campus resources that may be helpful. Students may reach out to the Dean of Students Office, which provides assistance and support for the academic and non-academic success of DACA/undocumented students. For mental health support and assistance processing these events, students are encouraged to connect with University Health Services. For questions about international students or scholars, please contact International Student Services (ISS) or International Faculty and Staff Services (IFSS). If you or anyone you know has been affected by ICE, Dane County Immigration Affairs Specialist Fabiola Hamdan is an available resource and may be reached at (608) 242-6260.

This post was originally published at Chief Roman’s blog.