On Sept. 2, students gathered on campus for the first protest of the fall semester against the University of Central Florida’s partnership with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. This controversy first began in the spring semester of 2025.
UCF Students for a Democratic Society organized the protest, with participation from other groups including UCF Young Democratic Socialists of America and UCF Sunrise. Students marched from the Student Union, ending in front of Millican Hall in an attempt to challenge the agreement.
What Is UCF’s 287(g) Agreement with ICE?
The 287(g) program is a federal program created under Section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1996 that allows ICE to partner with state and local law enforcement agencies. Under the 287(g) agreement, local law enforcement officers receive training and authorization from ICE to perform certain immigration duties. Some duties include questioning, detaining, or arresting individuals for immigration violations. For UCF, the agreement designates the University of Central Florida Police Department (UCFPD) with this authority.
The university confirmed it signed the agreement in April 2025. News Station WFTV Channel 9 reported that some UCF police officers would receive training to carry out certain immigration enforcement duties, including making arrests for immigration violations. The agreement gives designated UCF police officers an additional role related to federal immigration enforcement while operating under the 287(g) program, making the agreement between UCF Police and ICE a point of contention on campus.
Concerns Over the 287(g) Agreement
Members of the community, including faculty and students, have criticized the 287(g) agreement. The UCF Faculty Senate approved a resolution in September 2025 calling for the university and UCFPD to withdraw from the 287(g) agreement. The resolution raised multiple concerns that involving campus police in federal immigration enforcement could affect students’ trust in police and comfort in seeking help from the university. Faculty members also expressed concerns that students could be hesitant to use medical, mental health, or other student services because of immigration enforcement. The agreement could also negatively shape campus safety and students’ relationship with UCF Police.
UCF leadership and police have shared a different perspective on the 287(g) agreement, mainly focusing on campus safety. During UCF’s 2025–2026 Faculty Senate Resolutions, Provost Michael D. Johnson denied the request on May 8, 2025, saying, “The 287(g) MOU only engages the UCF police when ICE comes to campus.” UCFPD says its main goal is keeping the campus and community safe, with officers patrolling around campus. The department also works to prevent violence through threat assessments, crisis intervention, and emergency training. In response to concerns about the agreement, UCFPD leadership emphasized that immigration enforcement is not part of its mission. Deputy Chief Scott Freeman said the department has had zero interactions with ICE on campus and is not focused on students’ immigration status. The recent protests have made the goal of UCFPD safety more important. UCF’s chief of police, Dr. Robin Griffin-Kitzerow, stated that “Campus safety isn’t just a job for the police; it’s a shared responsibility.”
Where UCF students come In
Since the announcement in 2025, student organizations such as UCF Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA) and UCF Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) have organized protests and rallies to raise awareness on campus.
In September 2025, about 60 UCF students rallied and marched against the agreement, according to Fight Back! News. UCF SDS organized the demonstration in collaboration with UCF YDSA and other student organizations. In March 2026, UCF SDS and YDSA took part in another protest, where more than 40 students marched from the Student Union to Millican Hall. Organizers called for an end to the 287(g) agreement and asked UCF to become a sanctuary campus.
The protests continued into the fall semester. This recent protest was to once again urge the university to address their concerns. Before the protest, the organizations promoted the event on Instagram with a post titled “ICE Off Campus,” which encouraged students to join the demonstration. For students involved in the protest, the agreement remains an issue they want UCF to address.
For students walking through campus, the demonstrations have also reminded them that the agreement continues to affect the UCF community and remains an issue student organizations intend to keep fighting throughout the semester.