TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) 鈥 The police departments of at least three public universities in Florida are seeking agreements with the federal government to carry out immigration enforcement on campus.
It's a significant shift in policy for schools that had to be insulated from such law enforcement activities, under a federal policy the Trump administration rescinded.
The change comes as federal officials are and using what critics say are to of the country.
Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, the University of Florida in Gainesville and the University of South Florida in Tampa are all seeking to deputize their campus police for immigration enforcement, representatives for the schools confirmed to The Associated Press.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has prioritized support for President Donald Trump's mass deportation agenda, requiring local and state agencies to use their 鈥渂est efforts鈥 to support federal immigration enforcement.
Joshua Glanzer, a spokesperson for FAU, said 鈥渁ll state schools鈥 in Florida are expected to pursue the expanded immigration enforcement authority.
鈥淲e are simply following guidance from the Governor鈥檚 Feb. 19 directive to state law enforcement agencies, of which FAUPD and other state university police departments are included,鈥 Glanzer said in a statement.
The schools are not yet listed in an of agencies participating in what's known as the 287(g) program, which allows U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to train selected law enforcement officers and to help enforce immigration laws.
If approved, the university police departments could be among the first in the country to be granted such authority.
Under a 287(g) , such as the agreement being pursued by the University of Florida, participating officers would have the authority to interrogate 鈥渁ny alien or person believed to be an alien鈥 about their right to remain in the country, as well as the power to make arrests without a warrant in some cases.
Jennica Charles, who's studying political science at FAU, said the news was 鈥渟hocking.鈥 The daughter of Haitian immigrants said she found a welcoming community at the school in South Florida, a region that has long been a destination for first and second generation Americans. In recent years, FAU has billed itself as having the 鈥渕ost racially and culturally diverse student body鈥 in Florida's public university system.
"Who鈥檚 to say that someone doesn鈥檛 stop me and say, 鈥榦h I look like I don鈥檛 belong here?鈥" Charles said. 鈥淚 definitely think it鈥檚 going to make people feel more unsafe, whether you are someone that has immigrant status or not.鈥
The Presidents' Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration is among the organizations giving guidance to school administrators as they navigate this new level of government scrutiny of American college campuses.
Miriam Feldblum, the group's CEO, says the increased enforcement could drive students to avoid school resources like counseling or pull away from campus life, out of fear that any interaction could lead to attention.
鈥淐ollege campuses are supposed to be safe places for learning, for support, for growth,鈥 Feldblum said. 鈥淭urning them into sites of immigration enforcement undermines our fundamental ability to foster secure, inclusive, serendipitous, academic environments.鈥
___ Kate Payne is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
