With the shooting death of Renee Good in Minneapolis and the visible and significant presence of federal immigration enforcement in Minnesota, the university reminds our students and our employees of university protocols for interactions with immigration enforcement agents on our campuses.
Since Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota is a private university, our buildings and academic spaces are private. Accordingly, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents should not enter those buildings without appropriate authority. That authority would be limited to a judicial order in the form of a search or arrest warrant. No employee, other than the President, the General Counsel, or the COO, may provide consent for an ICE agent to enter any university buildings or property. If an ICE agent approaches you on campus, please follow these guidelines:
Remain calm and professional. You should stay composed so that your interaction with the ICE agent does not escalate.
Request the credentials from the ICE agent. Politely ask the agent for their name, badge number, agency affiliation, the reason for their visit, and any documentation authorizing access to campus. If possible, take photographs of any documents provided. Do not engage in significant discussion with the ICE agent, as the university wants to ensure that nothing you say would be construed as consent to enter our buildings.
Direct ICE agents to the appropriate contact. Call Ann Merchlewitz, our general counsel, at 507-457-1587, and Campus Security (Minneapolis) at 612-720-0417 or Campus Safety (Winona) at 507-457-1703 as applicable. Respectfully inform the ICE agent that you are not obstructing their process, but that you do need to consult with the general counsel for guidance.
Protect student and employee privacy. Please do not answer questions or provide personally identifiable information about yourself or anyone else unless required by a valid subpoena/warrant and told to do so by the general counsel. For example, agents may ask for a student’s name, contact information, schedule, or residence hall location. That information should not be provided. In addition, agents may ask if an employee works at the university, where the employee’s office might be or where the employee might live. That information should not be provided.
Document the interaction. After the encounter, take detailed notes, including:
- The officer’s credentials and contact information.
- The names of any campus personnel involved.
- The details of the officer’s request.
- Whether a warrant or subpoena was presented, and if so, whether it was signed by a judge.
- Copies or photographs of any documents presented.
- Any actions taken by the officer.
Please email all the collected information to the general counsel at amerchle@smumn.edu.
You can access information about your rights here if you are the subject of an inquiry or action from an ICE agent.
You can access information about immigration resources here. Employees can find the university protocols for interactions with ICE agents on the HR webpage.
Thank you for your assistance.
