As immigration raids ramp up across the country as a result of President Donald Trump’s executive orders and policies targeting undocumented immigrants, at least one Northeastern academic department on the Boston campus has issued guidance “about responding to possible activity by ICE on campus,” according to an email obtained by The Huntington News.
In a department of sociology and anthropology email shared internally Jan. 31 with the subject line “Potential ICE Encounter Information,” a department chair addressed the possibility that members of the Northeastern community may encounter U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, on campus.
“We have been informed at the College and Chair’s Councils that should any of us encounter ICE agents, they should be sent directly to the Office of the General Counsel in the Alumni Center/Columbus Place,” the email, which was authored by English professor and department chair Theo Davis, reads. “Even if they say they have a warrant, do not assume the warrant is valid. OGC will handle it.”
The Office of General Council, or OGC, did not respond to questions from The News about how it plans to handle inquiries from ICE or how it will advise students who contact the office. The email names Sandra Torres, Northeastern’s senior counsel and chief adviser, as the point of contact if community members encounter ICE and directs them to contact Torres via email.
“It is important to communicate with our students is that [sic] if any of our transnational students get stopped by ICE on campus or in the community, we should tell them not to engage in any conversations with them,” the email reads. “Also, if any student were presented a warrant, still try not to engage in any conversations because students cannot identify if a warrant is real or not.”
Northeastern has been in “regular contact with its international students, faculty and staff advising them on their rights and on travel to and from the United States,” the university wrote in the “Immigration and International Issues” section of an FAQ published Jan. 30 called “Navigating a New Political Landscape.” The FAQ addresses how Northeastern will respond to the actions of the Trump administration.
Over the past week, Northeastern students have shared concerns on social media about a potential ICE presence on campus. On Jan. 21, the Department of Homeland Security issued a directive rescinding former President Joe Biden’s guidelines for Customs and Border Patrol, which prevented ICE raids in schools and places of worship. At some universities, including the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, leaders have announced they plan to comply with ICE raids.
In a Q&A with the university-run media outlet Northeastern Global News, Vice President for Federal Relations Jack Cline also advised anyone contacted by an immigration enforcement official to contact OGC.
“The new administration’s focus on immigration policy was also not a surprise,” Cline said in the Q&A. “If anyone on our campuses is contacted by an immigration enforcement official, we recommend that they immediately reach out to the Office of the General Counsel. Our colleagues in OGC are ready.”
Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs David Madigan addressed concerns about campus safety from members of the faculty at a faculty senate meeting Jan. 29.
“It is possible that we could have ICE people come to campus or interactions of one sort or another. The correct thing to do is to call General Counsel immediately. And we’ll provide as much support as we can,” Madigan said at the meeting.
