UFF-FIU Calls for FIU’s Withdrawal from ICE 287(g) Program
United Faculty of Florida–Florida International University (UFF-FIU) is deeply disturbed by the recent reporting that, as of April 10, “Florida International University confirmed on Friday that it has enrolled in an Immigration and Customs Enforcement program known as 287(g) that will allow campus police to stop, question and in some cases detain people who they suspect are in the country illegally.” We are equally alarmed to hear about the termination of the F-1 visa status of 18 FIU students.
UFF-FIU calls for the immediate withdrawal of FIU’s participation in the 287(g) program and for full transparency regarding the status of the affected students.
This move threatens the safety and trust of a student body that is majority Hispanic, heavily immigrant, and home to nearly 600 students protected by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. These students are not just statistics. They are classmates, educators, research partners, and community leaders. FIU has long prided itself on being an institution of access & opportunity. We are recognized as the nation’s largest Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). These recent developments betray that legacy.
We affirm that every member of our university community has a basic right to feel safe on campus—free from profiling, surveillance, and fear of deportation. FIU’s latest act of anticipatory obedience undermines the rights of our community and jeopardizes the opportunity for all students and faculty to learn from and engage with their non-citizen peers. FIU’s haste to comply with ICE is in direct conflict with its stated vision. These actions distract from our educational mission and erode the inclusive environment FIU claims to foster.
We urge the FIU Board of Trustees to stand up for the values our institution claims to uphold: service, equal opportunity, and international cooperation.
We call on our university leadership to reaffirm FIU’s commitment to protect ALL students, faculty, and staff.
We will not stand by silently as our students are targeted, nor as fear and division are sown in a campus community built on resilience and unity.
For any comments or questions, please contact Tania Cepero Lopez, President, UFF-FIU, at president@uff-fiu.org.
In solidarity and strength,
UFF-FIU