What You Need to Know: ICE & University Policies
This page includes important university-wide information on institutional actions related to immigration enforcement. University Student Government encourages you to review the information below to stay informed on current university policies, available resources, and what these updates mean for our campus community. Staying informed helps keep everyone prepared, supported, and empowered.
LEGAL DISCLAIMER: These resources are for general informational purposes only. The contents are not legal advice. If you are in need of legal advice, please contact an attorney.
UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA UPDATES REGARDING SAFETY:
On Jan. 15 the University released information in an email with the subject line “Supporting your safety” on how the University administration is responding to the ICE situation in Minnesota. View that email for more information
Effective Tuesday, January 20 most university buildings will require U cards to access them. It’s important that students carry their UCards and don’t prop doors open or allow others to follow
The University states, “If you determine your safety is in immediate jeopardy, there is civil disorder, or there is a likelihood of violence, call 911. If you cannot call 911, you can text 911. If you are on campus, a University 911 dispatcher will respond to your call.”
UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA UPDATES REGARDING CLASSES:
On Jan. 14 the University released information regarding classes and student/faculty safety with the subject line “University actions to support faculty, staff and students” view that email for more information.
The official statement within the campus wide email is as follows:
“We are taking actions to support students who may need accommodations for virtual attendance. This is not a blanket approach, because there is not one solution for every educational situation. Each of our schools and colleges are different in learning formats, geographic location and learner needs. Students will be receiving additional information from their dean’s office about procedures in their schools. Classes will proceed as scheduled, in the modality outlined in the course schedule. We know many students welcome the opportunity to connect with each other and learn best in person. We also know that many students and instructors are concerned about their safety, both in class and traveling to and from where they live. Therefore, we are empowering learning accommodations (including hybrid) and shared this direction with deans, faculty and instructors earlier today.”
Some classes have since moved online while some offer hybrid options. Students are encouraged to check their emails and Canvas notifications, stay up to date with emails coming from the Office of the President and other University administration sources and communicate with professors to clarify any confusion.
UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA RESOURCES & LEGAL RESOURCES FROM OUTSIDE ORGANISATIONS:
University of Minnesota on Federal Immigration Policies: https://brief.umn.edu/federal-immigration-policies-support-and-resources
Visit the University of Minnesota International Student and Scholar Services for assistance and questions.
Visit https://isss.umn.edu/resources for resources on immigration status, types, and further resources
Visit https://isss.umn.edu/immigration-updates for immigration news and updates
Visit the University of Minnesota Student Legal Services for advice and representation: https://sls.umn.edu/advice-and-representation
Legal resources from outside organizations (note this list is for general information purposes only, not legal advice) :
MN Immigration Hub: a collaboration between legal aid organizations to coordinate services across MN. For more information visit https://www.lawhelpmn.org/minnesotas-immigration-legal-services-hub-initiative
Immigration Legal Clinics: The Hub puts on regular legal clinics in Minnesota. At the clinics, people can talk to immigration lawyers about their immigration cases for free. Visit https://www.lawhelpmn.org/minnesotas-immigration-legal-services-hub-initiative more information, locations, and times.
Phone advice: if you cannot attend a clinic and need advice, call the Volunteer Lawyers Network, or VLN to speak with a representative. For more information and the phone numbers visit https://www.vlnmn.org/help/
What to do in the event of an ICE encounter:
A helpful guide by MPRnews - What to do if ICE stops you: An attorney answers some questions, http://mprnews.org/story/2026/01/12/what-to-do-if-ice-stops-you-an-attorney-answers-some-questions
A helpful guide by MPRnews - What bystanders are legally allowed to do during an ICE encounter: 'Do's and don'ts' if you monitor ICE agents, immigration actions in Minnesota, https://www.mprnews.org/story/2025/12/11/dos-and-donts-if-you-monitor-ice-agents-immigration-actions-in-minnesota
The ACLU has stated that bystanders have a right to record ICE encounters. However, the ACLU highlights that recording is a choice and personal safety should always be the top priority. Additionally, a bystander should never interfere with any action by ICE agents and instead peacefully and silently observe.
If you do choose to record an ICE encounter, the Minnesota Attorney General office requests any evidence of unlawful action. For more information and to submit any evidence visit https://www.ag.state.mn.us/Federal-Action/
To submit information regarding unlawful action to the ACLU of Minnesota visit https://www.aclu-mn.org/ice-feds-form/
If you have a valid legal status, you should carry records of that with you at all times (e.g. your green card, U.S. passport, foreign passport with visa, I-94, EAD/work permit, etc.)
You should know your legal rights so that you can assert them if it is necessary. A helpful guide can be found online here: https://www.cfiaus.com/rights/know-your-rights/
SUPPORTING THE COMMUNITY, STAYING SAFE & STAYING EDUCATED:
Ways to volunteer or get involved on campus:
The University of Minnesota has an array of community partners and resources for volunteering close to the U of M campus. For more information on volunteering efforts supported by the U of M visit:
The Center for Community Engaged Learning: https://ccel.umn.edu/volunteer
Use the community partners map to find a volunteer organization of interest or a convenient location: https://ccel.umn.edu/community-partners/our-community-partners
Ways to volunteer or get involved in Minneapolis/surrounding communities:
For volunteering NOT affiliated with the University, visit Stand With Minnesota at https://www.standwithminnesota.com/ for a list of non profit and volunteer organizations regarding immigration or community support.
Supporting the community starts by staying educated:
Staying educated about the situation in the Twin Cities is a good way to protect yourself and members of the community. Here are some news articles with background information on the recent situations (to access New York Times, Star Tribune and other news sources for free through your UMN account visit https://libguides.umn.edu/FindResourcesbyFormat/news):
FAQs:
Where has ICE recently been located:
ICE deployment has been centralized in the Twin Cities but MinnPost reports that ICE agents have been seen across the state including suburbs of the Twin Cities area and Greater MN.
How many Federal ICE agents have been deployed?:
According to the Star Tribune, as of Jan. 13 over 2,000 federal ICE agents have been deployed to the Twin Cities area
How many official, confirmed arrests have been made?:
According to a report made by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Jan. 14, over 2,500 arrests have been made in Minnesota since the start of the ICE operations in December.