The full text of our original letter to University President Sarah Mangelsdorf follows.
Dear President Mangelsdorf:
We, the undersigned individuals and organizations, write to express our deep concern regarding the University’s policy around the presence of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on its premises. The policy language as presently written on an FAQ published December 18, 2025 (with some portions dating to February 2, 2025) fails to offer even the most basic protections and legal safeguards to workers, students, and patients.
Given the vital contributions of international students and workers — in fields ranging from healthcare to teaching and research — it is essential to ensure that all workers, students, and patients be safe and not left to live in fear of being targeted by an agency prone to discrimination, harassment, and violence. Representatives of ICE have argued for and demonstrated a persistent record of profiling and targeting not only undocumented immigrants but community allies and anyone who they suspect of belonging to either group.
This university, which serves as a workplace, learning, healthcare, and worship environment, can provide safeguards, as well as clarity, transparency, and precision regarding them— as demonstrated by many of our peer institutions locally and nationally. We have linked a document listing institutions that we believe provides several viable models for improvement. In light of this, we express our chief concerns with the existing university policy and recommend the following actions in the areas listed below:
1) Administrative and judicial warrants:
a) Require judicial warrants for requests to grant any federal agency, including those engaged in immigration enforcement, physical access to University property: As has been affirmed in numerous courts, administrative warrants lack legal force and should not be treated as sufficient for granting access to private spaces of work or accommodation. Brandeis University’s policy offers a clear model, stating: “ICE agents are not permitted to enter non-public areas of our campus, such as dormitories, offices, and classrooms, without a valid judicial warrant signed by a judge.” – and mirrors stances taken by peer institutions including NYU, Saint John Fisher, and Yale.
b) Issue a public statement regarding the legal distinction between administrative and judicial warrants: this should include clear and up-to-date legal guidance for students and workers presented with either form of documentation.
c) Honor worker, and patient privacy rights: University administrators and agencies, including DPS, should not aid in civil immigration enforcement or share information assisting in such investigations — especially in the absence of a judicial warrant or subpoena compelling such release.
2) Access to private and public space:
a) Clearly establish what constitutes a public or private space on university property – and clearly mark those considered private: The university states that ICE can enter “certain hallways in certain academic buildings” without a judicial warrant, reflecting a pattern of hazy policy language which fails to distinguish between areas considered “Public,” “Restricted Access,” and “Limited Access” spaces by administrators. Given ICE’s history of profiling and harassing immigrants and citizens alike, our community is owed precision and clarity on where exactly ICE is and isn’t allowed without a warrant. We feel strongly that it benefits all members of this community to limit access by immigration enforcement agencies as much as possible on all university property.
b) Refuse discretionary access to all university property: At present, the university states that ICE can enter private spaces without a warrant “When an authorized administrator or the Department of Public Safety (DPS) grants access to a restricted area. For example, if a university administrator with proper access permissions allows law enforcement into a restricted area.” It is unclear under what circumstances an administrator would do this. In addition, many peer institutions have already committed to only allow ICE and aligned agencies access to restricted areas if a judicial warrant or subpoena is presented. We call on this university to do the same.
3) Proactive Communication:
a) Inform community members (including students, workers, patients, faculty, and staff) of any requests for personal information (including name, immigration status, and places of work residence) by federal agencies: While fourth amendment protections should shield all in the community, ACLU guidance regarding FERPA affirms that “schools are prohibited from sharing a student’s or their family’s private information” without consent and underlines the need to notify affected family members. The University should honor these same principles for all members of this community — and announce its intent to do so.
b) Inform community members of any changes to either university or federal policy regarding immigration enforcement: Community members should be notified promptly and in writing of any changes to federal and university policies, given their immediate and serious effects on the community.
c) Utilize the AlertUR system to alert community members in the event of any ICE or immigration enforcement presence on campus: Community members should be alerted swiftly to the confirmed presence of any immigration enforcement agents on university property so that they can take immediate measures to protect not only themselves but children, friends, and loved ones.
As the largest employer and healthcare provider in upstate New York, the University not only has an obligation to protect the campus and local community, but a clear mandate to do so. Rochester has made its demands clear through the unanimous passage of a Sanctuary City policy by duly elected representatives. In addition, Governor Hochul has introduced legislation, which our local elected officials publicly support, to expand sanctuary policies to the entirety of New York State.
Given the urgency of the situation, we expect these requested clarifications and changes to be enacted and announced by 12pm Friday, March 13th. A meeting with representatives of the undersigned organizations to discuss these policies is less urgent but would be strongly appreciated.
We look forward to your response.
Signed,
Graduate Labor Union (GLU)
Rochester Rapid Response Network (RRRN)
SEIU Local200United
1199SEIU
Graduate Students of Color (GSOC)
Protestant Chapel Community (PCC)
Pagan Students’ Association
Buddhist Meditation Group
UR Christian Fellowship
ROC DSA
Metro Justice
Note: The following examples of university policies were sent to University of Rochester administrators along with the initial letter by the Graduate Labor Union (which continues to fight for an election and formal recognition of their union rights). These offer models for a revised framework regarding the presence of ICE and other immigration enforcement officials on campus. Despite the request of a March 13 deadline for the University to respond by amending its standing policies, they have offered no response. The institutions here offer clear cases of better, more protective policies and highlight the University of Rochester's unusually welcoming policy towards immigration enforcement agencies — and its refusal to protect its workers, patients, and students.
We encourage you to add your name to our petition — as either an individual or an organization — in support of policy reforms at the University of Rochester by using the form here. Examples of peer institutions' policies follow:.
Below is a compilation of policies regarding ICE set by URochester’s peer institutions. Bolded emphasis is our own.
Should law enforcement officials wish to enter NYU facilities for immigration-related enforcement purposes, they must have a judicial warrant or subpoena in order to do so. Campus Safety Officers are aware of—and trained on—this protocol.
The University does not voluntarily provide information about members of the University community to third parties, including government agencies, unless it is legally required to do so. In the limited instances in which the University receives a legally-binding request for information regarding a member of our community—e.g. a subpoena—the University relies on its standard process for receiving, reviewing, and responding to such requests. That standard process includes the University providing notification to a student of such a request, except in cases where the University is legally prohibited from doing so.
Will Johns Hopkins Public Safety personnel or JHPD officers work with federal immigration officers to apprehend and remove individuals from campus?
No, we do not assist with ICE enforcement unless required by law.
Access to Campus Facilities
ICE agents are not permitted to enter non-public areas of our campus, such as dormitories, offices, and classrooms, without a valid judicial warrant signed by a judge. Administrative warrants issued by ICE do not grant authorization to access these areas
The University recommended international students, faculty and staff to carry travel documentation with them “at all times,” and it advised employees to first contact Duke University Police “if law enforcement or federal agents request information or access to non-public areas” and say they are “not authorized” to abide by those orders.
Can immigration agents access campus?²
The university or its agents will not allow immigration enforcement agents to enter any non-public areas where students or employees work or live without a subpoena or judicial warrant. Non-public areas are those university-owned or controlled buildings and/or areas that restrict public access. They may include, but are not limited to, all classrooms, research and teaching labs, offices, dormitories, or housing.
² For Graduate Workers, if such consent is required by federal law, the university will notify Local 33 that access was granted and for which areas access was granted if permitted by law.
Washington University in St. Louis
While immigration officials cannot enter a classroom, laboratory, campus residence or private office without an appropriate warrant or judicial order, the UW cannot legally prevent federal immigration officials from coming into the public spaces of a UW campus or facility. There may also be instances when UW will be required to respond to valid criminal warrants or judicial orders.
What is the University’s response regarding ICE enforcement on our campus?
The University is required by law to allow access to ICE officers entering campus areas open to the general public. The University will not permit immigration enforcement activities on University property without a valid legal judicial warrant.
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