San Antonio colleges and universities, like many across the nation, are no strangers to updates to safety protocols. These are traditionally implemented to keep campus life safe and focused on education as much as possible.
But after the Trump administration rescinded the 2021 policies that prohibited immigration enforcement in sensitive areas such as schools, hospitals and churches, back in January, immigration enforcement became a potential campus safety issue.
No longer would campuses have special protections from immigration enforcement.
San Antonio university officials overseeing some of the largest campuses in the region, said there have been no reports of immigration enforcement targeting students, faculty or staff on their grounds. But with reports across the nation of arrests impacting undocumented individuals, visa holders and international students, some local close calls have renewed concerns of what to expect.
Just last week, on May 30, University of Texas at San Antonio officials confirmed the presence of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, ICE, officers on its main campus. UTSA officials said the visit was meant to serve warrants on individuals working for a subcontractor hired by the university for a construction project and that no student, faculty or staff members were detained.
“Per law enforcement protocol, UTSA PD (Police Department) provided perimeter control to ensure campus safety and was not involved in the arrests,” said a statement issued by Joe Izbrand, UTSA’s associate vice president for strategic communications.
Rumors of a possible immigration police presence at an Alamo Colleges District campus also arose this week. But in a written statement district spokesperson Denise Blaz said that officials were “not aware of any ICE presence at any of our Alamo Colleges up to date.”
At UTSA, which houses nearly 36,000 students, and about 2% of them are international students, officials sent out an informational email to students, faculty and staff back in February detailing the protocols to follow and resources available to students and the community.
“As a Texas educational institution, UTSA must follow all applicable state and federal laws, as well as UT System policies, regarding cooperation with federal authorities. We will carefully review any requests from authorities on a case-by-case basis and will consult with UT System as needed,” states the email signed by Provost Heather Shipley and two other administrators.
Those with additional questions were referred to the following offices:
- UTSA Student Affairs for support services in and out of campus
- UTSA Academic Affairs for academic procedures and records
- UTSA Office of Legal Affairs for questions on subpoenas, warrants or records requests
- UTSA Public Safety for questions on law enforcement requests and access to campus.
A similar message was sent by Alamo Colleges District Chancellor Mike Flores back in February, stating the district remains committed to creating an inclusive and supportive environment for students, faculty and staff.
“We are actively monitoring the recent executive orders and memos issued by the new presidential administration and federal agencies,” Flores’ message states. “We are consulting with legal counsel as needed. Any requests we receive will be carefully reviewed on a case-by-case basis to ensure full compliance with applicable laws.”
The chancellor instructed those that encounter any possible law enforcement presence on campus to alert their department leadership, but no specific resources were shared in this message.
Guidance issued earlier this year by Cornell Law School, PennState Dickinson Law, the Center for Immigrants Rights and the Presidents Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, recommends being aware of the type of access that public and nonpublic spaces gives federal immigration officials.
“Federal immigration enforcement officers can enter public areas without a warrant, just like any member of the public. However, officers cannot access nonpublic areas of campus without permission from an authorized campus official. Institutional employees are not required to grant access, provide documents, or assist federal immigration officers in entering nonpublic areas of the campus,” the guidance states.
ICE officers cannot enter a nonpublic space without a warrant signed by a judge or consent by a campus official, the guidance states. Individuals can reasonably expect a certain level of privacy in nonpublic spaces — including areas where access is restricted by university-issued identification cards — under the Fourth Amendment.
Texas A&M University-San Antonio officials said they are not aware of any immigration enforcement visits at its campus and they rely on Texas A&M University System guidance for procedures on these types of matters.
James Suydam, A&M System director of media relations, said he is not aware at this time of any procedures being shared with A&M campuses regarding possible immigration-related issues. The system follows all state and federal laws, he said.
Some private institutions, such as St. Mary’s University, have also updated its campus community on the procedures being implemented to deal with a possible ICE visit.
“Law enforcement officers who show up on campus are to be routed to the St. Mary’s Police Department,” states guidance shared by St. Mary’s officials with faculty and staff in March. “University Police will determine the credibility of their request and act accordingly and lawfully. Students have some legal privacy rights, which must be protected; however, employees may not legally block officers from carrying out their duties.”
Undocumented students and those protected under DACA — Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals — were contacted to provide additional information and resources while they attend St. Mary’s, the statement said.
Not every university responded to our request for comment on the matter. But those that did seem to be seeking to balance out the need to comply with federal and state laws, while fostering a safe environment inside college campuses.
“Trinity University will comply with all applicable laws while doing everything within our legal and ethical responsibilities to protect the privacy, dignity and safety of our community members,” Tom Evelyn, Trinity University vice president of communications, said in a statement. “Our priority is to foster an environment where everyone feels safe, supported and informed.”
This is a developing story.
The San Antonio Report partners with Open Campus on higher education coverage.
