On Jan. 20, 2025, the Trump Administration removed a federal policy that had discouraged immigration enforcement at protected locations — including schools, hospitals and places of worship. Under this policy, agents needed higher-level approval and exceptional circumstances to act inside schools or universities. This means immigration officials no longer require special permission to conduct surveillance, question students, or make arrests on public parts of campuses across the nation. At the University of Maine, concerns about how this national policy change could impact the school and whether or not campus police will be aiding in investigations detaining students remain. These concerns were recently raised by students, such as members of the UMaine chapter of Jewish Voices for Peace (JVP). As of now, student concerns have yet to be fully addressed by the UMaine Police Department (UMPD).
In an email sent last week that was shared with the Maine Campus, UMaine JVP described its recent efforts to seek clarity from campus police leadership. On April 8, group members had contacted Chief William Flagg of the UMPD requesting a meeting.
“In meetings with UMaine Administration, they have stressed that ‘If ICE ever does come up to campus UMPD would hear about it first, because UMPD has a great working relationship with the Bangor ICE office,’” said Willow Cunningham and Talia Cullum reflecting on the outreach attempts in an interview.”This sentiment worries us, and we hoped that meeting with Flagg would clarify how this relationship might play out in practice,”
After several days without a reply, UMaine JVP gathered and a group of eight students walked to the on-campus police station on April 18 to request a meeting directly. According to UMaine JVP, they were turned away and later received an email stating that Flagg was “not in a position to meet regarding this topic, especially given the sensitive nature of the information requested.”
To UMaine JVP member Cullum, “by refusing to provide any information at all to the very students UMPD are meant to ‘protect and serve,’ Chief Flagg undermines the trust students have in our campus police.”
“This sudden change in demeanor is alarming — especially given the recent high-profile detention of foreign-born students at college campuses across the nation,” said Cullum.
Rather than being provided a firm response, UMaine JVP members were instead referred to an email from UMaine President Joan Ferrini-Mundy that was sent out on Jan. 29. This message, titled “Update on Administration Executive Orders,” was addressed to the entire student body and explained how the University was prepared for immigration enforcement on campus.
The open letter went on to explain campus access, citing the university as an institution generally open to the public. However, this does not extend to “restricted access spaces” such as residence halls and research labs. In these cases, “non-university law enforcement officials, including those of immigration agencies, generally are not allowed to access restricted spaces without a warrant or being accompanied by authorized university personnel,” stated Ferinni-Mundy’s email.
The message also guided staff and students on how to respond if approached or contacted by ICE officials. The recommendation was to “remain calm and immediately contact UMPD at 207-581-4040 or through the Black Bear Safe campus safety app,” said Ferinni-Mundy. According to the email, UMPD will be able to advise on your rights as well as the resources available to you.
Under the U.S. constitution, individuals who may be sought out by ICE are still protected by the Fourth Amendment, which would require immigration officers to acquire a judicial warrant to enter private areas without owner permission.
Yet, the distinction between public and private locations on campuses can be unclear. According to the Presidents Alliance, nonpublic spaces include areas “restricted by university-issued ID cards, locked doors or monitored entryways, university residence halls and other monitored-entry spaces.” However common spaces, dining halls and walkways still fall under public.
The Presidents Alliance also explains that “nonpublic spaces should be clearly designated,” and that “institutions could consider creating policies related to federal immigration enforcement visits.” This could include clear signage that designates public and nonpublic areas on campus, as well as policies set for how campus officials will respond in the event ICE officials enter the campus.
Across the country, the removal of these protections against unreasonable immigration enforcement has the potential to affect millions of people across the nation. Reports of ICE targeting international and undocumented students at Columbia University, Tufts University, the University of Minnesota and others have been growing. Many of these students have been targeted due to their involvement in political activism.
As federal immigration policies shift, UMaine faces ongoing challenges in balancing legal obligations with campus community expectations. While the university has outlined general procedures, questions about how these policies will work in practice remain. Continued communication and careful attention to student concerns will be important as the situation develops.
