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In April 2025, Felipe Zapata Velasquez, despite having no criminal record and being in good standing with the University, was apprehended by ICE over a minor traffic violation. UF refused to clarify his standing as a student to ICE, forcing him to remain detained at the Krome Detention Center in Miami. Due to UF’s failure to protect their students, Felipe was forced to self-deport and halt his studies or be subjected to the inhumane conditions of the Krome Detention Center.

UF continues to grant ICE access to campus, through the UFPD’s signed 287(g) agreement. While all Florida police departments are required by state law to cooperate with ICE when requested, section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act allows local law enforcement agencies to perform certain federal immigration duties under ICE supervision, including questioning or detaining individuals suspected of immigration violations during routine encounters, such as traffic stops, pedestrian stops, or conversations with witnesses and victims.

As such, the UF YDSA advocates for both the prioritization of, at minimum well-being of students and the maximum non-compliance with ICE to become the policy of the university, including the eventual realization of a program containing:

1. The implementation of, and commitment to, sanctuary policies, or policies of ICE non-compliance at the University of Florida, despite the conflict this may bring from higher bodies.

2. Extensive, definitive, and unwavering labor protections for all those employed by the University of Florida or by its contractors, including guarantees to a living wage, fair benefits, safety in the workplace, and the right to unionize.

3. The implementation of policies to protect the safety and privacy of students, such as through a “Don’t ask, don’t share” policy prohibiting the collecting and sharing of students’ immigration status in admissions, housing, and student services.

Add your name to demand that UFPD Chief Knowles implements the demands put foreward by the YDSA to ensure that UF becomes a space where all students are safe and protected from ICE.