Union leaders address questions on the immigration enforcement partnership and its impact on the FIU community.
Danette Heredia | Staff Writer
UFF-FIU hosted a town hall meeting to protest the 287(g) agreement that FIU PD willingly signed, providing information on how the agreement will be implemented on campus and discussing ways to challenge it.
On July 2, FIU Police officially signed the 287(g) agreement in partnership with ICE, giving a select number of FIU officers a 48-hour training program to deputize them as on-campus ICE agents.
The administration has received significant criticism from students and faculty for signing the agreement, with many questioning whether it serves the best interests of campus safety and aligns with the university’s values.
UFF sent 10 questions to FIU’s chief negotiator, seeking guidance on how faculty should handle inevitable situations involving FIU, ICE, faculty members, and their students.
“We asked, ‘Where are ICE agents allowed on campus? What areas of campus count as public and non-public?’ Their response was: ‘ICE agents are allowed in public areas. Public areas are those accessible to the general public. Private areas are not accessible to the general public. Examples of private areas are residence halls, classrooms (when in session), and administrative offices. An important point to make, however, is that classrooms and administrative offices are accessible to university officials, and therefore FIU PD, in their capacity as university officials,’” explained UFF-FIU President Tania Lopez.
According to the chief negotiator, by allowing FIU PD to be deputized as ICE agents, the administration is granting ICE access to parts of campus that would otherwise be considered private property and require a judicial warrant for federal agents to enter.
The follow-up questions focused on how faculty should respond in different scenarios. For example, if an agent asked a professor for student information, faculty should refer them to the Office of the Registrar. If a student were subjected to ICE action, faculty should follow the standard process for handling unexpected absences.
Audience members also posed questions to the absent administration representatives. One asked whether a student placed under the Baker Act would be protected from immigration-related questioning during transport. Another asked for a clear definition of “probable cause,” which was the only description Chief Casas provided when explaining what could justify initiating an investigation into a student.
Although numerous meetings have been held between faculty and administration, explanations have remained vague. Many still question how this agreement will benefit the university and what it will look like in practice.
Students have held on-campus protests and faculty have attempted to dissuade administration through numerous formal meetings, but neither was persuasive enough for administration to reject 287(g).
“We are the testing grounds. This campus is a testing ground for what they are trying to do across the country. These agreed collaboration agreements have rapidly started to grow, but nowhere more rapidly than Florida,” says Alana Greer, the Director of Community Justice Project.
UFF-FIU had previously held another town hall meeting over the summer for the same sentiment, featuring FIU PD Chief Casas and President Jeanette Nuñez to answer questions from the public.
Unlike the last town hall meeting, there was no one representing or answering questions on behalf of the administration, believing their presence was not necessary due to their numerous press releases explaining their decision, according to the FIU chief negotiator.
“Thank you for your invitation to attend the FIU forum. At this time, we respectfully decline, as we believe our attendance is unnecessary. With respect to FIU’s actions, we believe we have addressed and provided a clear account at various fora,” reads the response from FIU chief negotiator on behalf of the invited administration.
While administration has responded on multiple occasions, many believe their responses have consistently been vague.
“It [FIU PD signing an agreement with ICE] just goes against the whole idea of why I came here, and I think many of the people I’ve met, both students and also the faculty that chose to teach here, it goes against what they believe in too,” says Dariel Gomez, a FIU senior and organizer for ALCU in Florida
UFF-FIU is planning a protest on September 18th on GC Lawns in front of the Board of Trustees meeting, exact time to be announced on the UFF-FIU Instagram.
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