In the months following President Donald Trump taking office in January 2025, immigration enforcement escalated quickly — like, very quickly. In signing several executive orders, the Trump administration attempted to repeal birthright citizenship, declared a state of emergency at the southern border, and directed additional resources to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) through those orders as well as the passage of the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill. With this, the deployment of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents into cities like Los Angeles, Washington D.C., Minneapolis, and more has rattled communities — including those on college campuses.
In the morning hours of Feb. 26, ICE agents allegedly impersonated police officers in order to enter a Columbia University-affiliated apartment building and arrested student Elmina Aghayeva, according to university president Claire Shipman. (In a statement shared with The New York Times that contradicts this, DHS claimed the agents verbally identified themselves and wore badges around their necks. Aghayeva has since been released and is awaiting an immigration hearing.) While the details of this incident are still unclear, the arrest has prompted immense confusion around how ICE is allowed to operate on college campuses, and how students are permitted to respond in return.
“What happened to Ellie Aghayeva at Columbia is not how the law is supposed to work,” Jasmin Singh, ESQ, a New York-based immigration attorney, tells Her Campus. “As the ICE playbook continues to be adapted and agents increasingly use deception to gain access — as alleged here — university and college students need to know exactly what their rights are before they find themselves in that situation.”
So, here’s a breakdown of what to know if ICE comes to your college campus.
Is ICE Allowed on Campus?
The most important thing to know is that ICE operates under the U.S. Constitution, which extends civil rights to all persons on U.S. soil, regardless of immigration status. But the legality around the scope and tactics of ICE can be extremely fuzzy.
Previously, an Obama-era directive restricted ICE activity from “sensitive locations,” such as colleges, K-12 schools, churches, and courts. However, at the beginning of his second administration, Trump rolled back that directive, thus strengthening and expanding ICE’s capabilities on college campuses. Yet, there are still limitations to what agents can do once they are on campus. “Constitutional protections have not changed,” Singh explains. “ICE can now enter school campuses, but that does not mean ICE can do anything once they arrive.”
For starters, ICE *is* allowed to operate in any space a college considers “public” (regardless of whether a university, as an entity, is private or public). This would include any space that non-university-affiliated individuals are allowed to enter without a school ID or escort, such as quads and student centers. However, federal agents and other law enforcement agencies do *not* have any special privileges when it comes to college campuses, meaning they must function under the same rules as they would when entering a business or home. For example, areas of campus that are considered private property require special permission to enter.
So, what counts as private property on a college campus? According to global law firm Holland & Knight’s website, places that require school-issued IDs to enter are usually considered private — think dorms, dining halls, classrooms, and offices. In order to enter private spaces, ICE must have a judicial warrant or the consent of an authorized university official, such as university-affiliated lawyers or police leadership. Further, universities are not legally required to allow ICE agents on campus, unless for its routine work-related reporting from the institution, according to the law firm.
What Do I Do If ICE Comes To My Dorm Room?
Even if ICE agents have entered a dorm building, you don’t have to open your door for them. “University housing qualifies as a private space with full constitutional protections,” Singh says. That means university officials or housing assistants that may have access to your space cannot give them consent to enter your dorm room — only you (or any other roommates who live there) have that right.
You also don’t have to provide a reason for denying entry. In fact, you’re not required to speak to ICE at all. That’s because the Fifth Amendment also applies in these situations, which allows individuals the right to remain silent.
If ICE agents claim they have authority to enter your space, do your due diligence (because, believe it or not, they’re allowed to lie to you). The American Civil Liberties Union website recommends asking agents to show a badge through the peephole and asking them to slide their warrant under the door. If they do so, ensure it’s a judicial warrant — meaning signed by a judge — and not just an administrative warrant, which does not authorize agents to enter your home. It should also list the name of someone actually living in the residence.
If the agents don’t show their badge and present the correct judicial warrant, the ACLU recommends you state, “I do not consent to your entry.” If agents force their way in anyway, the ACLU suggests using the phrase, “I do not consent to your entry or to your search of these premises. I am exercising my right to remain silent. I wish to speak with a lawyer as soon as possible.” And then document everything that happens next.
What Can I Do If I Believe ICE Is Acting Illegally In My Dorm Or On My College Campus?
If you believe your or another’s civil rights were violated, evidence of the interaction is pivotal in challenging the interaction, the ACLU website states. However, you should not post unverified information on social media, or go out of your way to obstruct the operation or put yourself in harm’s way. The ACLU recommends sharing the evidence with the person impacted, local media, and organizations that may be able to contact the person impacted.
Under the First Amendment, you have the right to photograph or film anything within “plain view” (meaning within your eyesight) while in a public place like a college campus. Documentation can also look like writing down relevant information, such as time and place, names and badge numbers, and a timeline of events.
Keep in mind, ICE may take your device if you are being put under arrest, but agents will still need to obtain a warrant to search its contents. If you are not being put under arrest, officers must have a warrant in order to confiscate your device, so it’s your right to hold onto your phone (just make sure you’re physically safe to do so).
In addition to documenting, if you believe any of your rights were violated during an interaction with ICE on campus, Singh says to reach out to an immigration attorney or campus legal services in order to pursue recourse, because there are laws in place that protect you.
“The rules around where ICE can go have shifted. But the rules for what ICE can legally do to you once they’re there are still governed by the Constitution,” Singh says. “That distinction is your protection.”