The University of Connecticut advised students on handling Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in an email sent to students, faculty and staff on Thursday. The email said no reports or plans for ICE presence on campus have been made.
Deputy Spokesperson Michael Enright said UConn sent the official announcement in response to both national events and requests within the university community.
The email was sent alongside a link to a UConn Today article published that same Thursday. Both sources came from University Communications and focused on the steps one could take if they witness an ICE officer trying to access spaces that are not public.
Three steps were included in an outline with streamlined guidance on UConn’s protocol for ICE entering non-public spaces on campus, according to UConn Today. The article said to stay calm when following the steps.
“Inform” is the first step of the protocol and says that UConn community members should request ICE officials to wait until University Safety is contacted before ICE enters any non-public space on campus.
“Call” is the second step, which directs students to the University Safety hotline at (860) 486-4800. Those calling the hotline should give their name, department and location and share that ICE is onsite.
The last step is to “escalate” by taking communication beyond the UConn Police Department and directly to a supervisor.
The steps were only supposed to be used as guidance during the event that law enforcement try to access records or enter non-public spaces like classrooms or employee offices, according to UConn Today.
The article said that it’s not unusual for external law enforcement agencies to be on campus, using Connecticut State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation as examples.
“[T]his guidance is not intended to suggest that external law enforcement, including immigration officials, should be stopped and questioned if they are in public spaces on campus,” the article said.
A link to a previous UConn Today Q&A from April 28, 2025, was shared in the most recent article to elaborate on what is considered a public and private space on campus.
Residence halls, faculty and staff offices, clinical care spaces and any spaces locked when not used are all defined as non-public spaces on campus, according to the Q&A. The article explained what is needed for ICE to enter these areas.
“Federal law enforcement authorities may access any area of campus if they have a judicial warrant, meaning a warrant signed by a judge, authorizing them to do so,” the article said, adding that authorized campus officials or residents can also give permission. Administrative warrants do not allow entry to non-public spaces, according to UConn Today.
An internal ICE memo signed by Acting Director of ICE Todd Lyons on May 12, 2025, said that immigration regulations do not require judicial warrants to forcibly enter people’s homes, according to AP news. The memo has been used to train new ICE officers, who are told to follow the memo instead of written training materials.
Enright said that University Safety hasn’t received any credible reports about ICE presence and campus and was not aware of any recent contact between ICE and campus officials.