FAMU Students Are Protesting Campus Police Collaboration With ICE
Students at Florida A&M University (FAMU) are making their criticism of the school’s agreement with immigration enforcement known. The school’s chapter of a national student-run organization focused on fighting injustice is leading a protest of a policy they say puts immigrant and international students at the historically Black college at risk.
On Friday (Oct. 23), FAMU Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) renews its call to end the 287(g) agreement. Signed in Spring 2025, the agreement allows campus police to coordinate with federal immigration authorities on certain immigration enforcement activities under the supervision of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Black student activism has played a significant role in challenging institutional policies throughout history, especially on the campuses of our HBCUs. FAMU’s Friday protest places that tradition in the context of contemporary debates over immigration enforcement and campus policing.
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According to WCTV, students previously gathered at FAMU’s Eternal Flame to oppose the partnership in March. Organizers argued that the agreement could threaten the safety of immigrant and international students and erode trust between students and campus police.
“FAMU is home to many international students who have their safety jeopardized by the very people who claim to protect them. We will not stand idly by as ICE is invited onto our HBCU!” FAMU SDS said in a press release.
FAMU is the only HBCU that signed the 287(g) agreement. And the latest protest comes as students continue voicing concerns about FAMU President Marva Johnson’s ties to the MAGA movement and what her leadership means for the university.
The group has called on school administrators to revoke the agreement and provide greater transparency about how it will be implemented. For student organizers, the concern is whether campus police involvement in federal immigration enforcement could discourage students from seeking assistance or participating fully in campus life.
ICE describes the program on its website as a way to expand cooperation with local law enforcement, while critics have raised concerns about its potential effects on immigrant communities.
FAMU’s position is also central to the debate. The university previously said it maintains partnerships with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies to support campus safety, CNN previously reported. The university also said its officers do not contact, detain, question or arrest individuals solely because of suspected undocumented immigration status.
As students renew their demands, the central question remains whether university leaders will reconsider the agreement and how they will address concerns about safety, trust and accountability within the campus community.
