Campus police at the University of Florida (UF) and the University of South Florida (USF) have signed agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to assist with immigration enforcement.
UF spokesperson Steve Orlando confirmed that the university’s police department, alongside hundreds of other agencies, has entered into a 287(g) agreement, according to Tampa Bay Times. This agreement enables local law enforcement officers to undergo training for immigration enforcement, allowing them to act as immigration agents under certain circumstances.
The University of South Florida’s student newspaper, The Oracle, reported that USF is also moving forward with similar plans. According to the publication, USF’s University Police (UP) Chief Christopher Daniel has signed a contract with ICE to enroll officers in the 287(g) program. However, as of now, ICE has yet to sign the contract, and no timeframe has been provided for when this will occur, according to Colleen Gagnon, the police evidence, records, and communications supervisor at UP.
The announcement comes amid mounting concern over the impact of the 287(g) agreements on immigrant students. Protesters at the University of Florida have called on the university to take further steps to protect immigrant students following a distressing case involving a student who was detained by federal agents.
Felipe Zapata Velásquez, a 27-year-old junior studying food and resource economics at UF, was detained by immigration enforcement officers after being arrested by Gainesville Police for driving with a suspended license and outdated vehicle registration. According to Fresh Take Florida, Velásquez was taken first to Jacksonville and then to Krome Detention Center in Miami, where he chose to self-deport to Colombia. Velásquez reportedly had an F-1 student visa and was in the process of filing an I-20 certification after transferring from Santa Fe College to the University of Florida.
The news of the 287(g) agreements comes after reports surfaced that the Florida Atlantic University (FAU) Police Department had also requested to partner with ICE.
Governor Ron DeSantis had previously announced in February that all 67 county sheriffs in Florida had agreed to cooperate with ICE under the 287(g) program. This program allows local law enforcement to engage in immigration enforcement under three different models: the Jail Enforcement Model, the Warrant Service Officer Model, and the Task Force Model.
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