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ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú admits students regardless of their immigration status and will continue to do so.

ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University is committed to the success of all our students without regard to citizenship, national origin, race, ethnicity or other characteristics that makes them unique. Students receive access to all campus services regardless of immigration status, including an ID card; confidential counseling through Student Counseling Center; medical services through the Student Health Center; academic support through the Rinella Learning Center and our regional campus learning Assistance Centers; and all other University programs and services.

Many other offices within the Division of Student Life, including Residential Life and the Office of the Dean of Students, also offer support services in the context of the student experience. The Center for Student Diversity & Inclusion on the Oxford Campus and the Center for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion on the regional campuses support underrepresented students, including undocumented students.

ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú classifies qualifying undocumented students who reside in the state of Ohio as in-state students for tuition purposes as permitted under Ohio law. Out-of-state students, regardless of their immigration status, are charged out-of-state rates.

It is important that DACA students work closely with personal immigration counsel to take all reasonable precautions related to their personal circumstances. For resources to help find immigration legal assistance, please see https://www.immigrationlawhelp.org.

In general, and in accordance with the information currently available, DACA students should not expect any aspect of their engagement with ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University to change.

If you are a DACA student in an academic program that requires employment authorization to complete elements of your program, such as a paid internship, you should monitor developments related to your employment authorization closely. In the event that DACA students lose employment authorization, ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú will take reasonable steps to accommodate affected students in the completion of their studies or explore alternate requirements or courses of study as appropriate. If DACA graduate students were to lose their employment authorization, they could not continue to hold paid Graduate Assistantship positions.

Unfortunately, no. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced that it will no longer approve advance parole requests associated with DACA. The Office of International Student and Scholar Services is not recommending that DACA students with approved Advance Parole depart the United States.

It is also important to understand the authority of Customs and Border Protection agents. CBP officers have authority under the law to perform a search of individuals and their possessions at ports of entry. CBP is authorized to seize devices (telephones and computers) and hold them for inspection. Our understanding is that if a person refuses to grant access to a CBP agent the device can be seized and held by CBP.

All ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University faculty and staff members are reminded to adhere to all applicable laws and university policies, including the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Pursuant to FERPA, the education records of all students, regardless of immigration status, are protected from disclosure to outside parties. This includes students’ addresses, class schedules, information on their family members, information on immigration status, and similar information.

Pursuant to our FERPA Policy, the University cannot release information from student education records to outside parties, including federal agents, without permission from the student, a judicial warrant, a subpoena, a court order, or as otherwise permitted by law.

It is important to remember, however, that there are many reasons why federal agents may contact ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University or be on campus, including routine compliance matters connected to the University’s normal operations. The Department of Homeland Security and its enforcement agency, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have broad authority, and ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú routinely cooperates with them on many matters not connected with undocumented students. For example, federal immigration officials may contact ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú staff or come to campus in connection with our international student visa sponsorship or faculty /staff work authorization.

Residence Life staff are not required to provide immigration agents with access to residence halls unless they have a valid criminal warrant issued by a court.

If a federal official approaches a faculty or staff member seeking information about a student or seeking to serve a search warrant about a student, those employees must comply with FERPA and should contact the Office of the General Counsel (513-529-6734) for further guidance.

ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú Police want all individuals to feel comfortable reporting a crime, cooperating with police, or reaching out to the police for assistance. ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University Police do not question individuals about their immigration status and do not detain someone solely because they cannot provide proof of legal residency. ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú Police do not contact U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) regarding any person, unless that person is arrested on a criminal charge as required by law.

Several other law enforcement agencies also have jurisdiction to enforce the law on ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú’s public campuses. These include, but are not limited to the State Highway Patrol, Butler County Sheriff, Oxford City Police, the Hamilton Police Department and the Middletown Police Department. The University has no authority or control over other law enforcement agencies.

On October 27, 2021, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued a memo generally restricting agents from conducting enforcement actions at or focused on “protected locations”, which includes colleges and universities. The memo states in part that:

The University will continue to support the continuation of this policy, however, such matters are often beyond the University’s control. ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú’s public spaces are open to the general public and the University does not have the ability to bar federal enforcement officials from the University’s public spaces. We have no information that indicates that DHS or ICE would seek to come to ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University or Oxford to conduct an immigration raid, and there has not been recent activity in or near other college campuses to suggest such a raid could be expected. 

Residential spaces such as on-campus apartments and residence hall rooms are considered private, and federal enforcement officials are not permitted in such spaces absent a valid criminal warrant or consent from the resident. An administrative warrant alone does not permit ICE officials to enter private, residential spaces absent consent.

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ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University has no legal ability to intervene in immigration court proceedings if a member of our community is detained or subject to an order of removal. Immigration court proceedings are federal administrative hearings. Faculty and staff may write letters and conduct other advocacy in support of the student to be submitted to the immigration judge for consideration during the removal hearing in the immigration court.

In the unfortunate event a student was to be subjected to removal from the United States, ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú will support and take steps to ease the student’s transition. Such steps and support will depend upon the individual student, his or her academic program and progress, and resources abroad, and will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Such support may include, but is not limited to, providing expedited readmission if the student can return to ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú; helping place the student with a foreign institution and guiding the student in continuing his or her studies through distance learning when available in the program of study. ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú administrators and academic advisors will work with the student individually to assess practical options and the best path forward.

Anyone who wishes to express a viewpoint on any state or federal policy or action may contact their elected representatives. Identify your  or .ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú’s state representatives, state senator and Congressional representatives and Ohio’s Senators are:

Oxford

MU-Hamilton

MU-Middletown

VOA Learning Center