Since the beginning of the current Trump administration, the University of Florida has shown its complicity with ICE and the unjust targeting and deportation of its own students, of which at least eight have had visas revoked, and at least one was forced to self-deport.

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. This is only worsened by the State of Florida's 2019 ban of sanctuary cities and policies through Senate Bill 168 and the implementation of Statute 908.11, which mandates that the sheriffs or correctional officers of any Florida detention facility enter into a written agreement with ICE.

Additionally, despite having one of the largest international student populations in the Southeast, UF offers no legal support to immigrant or foreign students and no transparency or advocacy for those affected. This directly contradicts UF’s stated values of inclusion, safety, and respect.

In order to protect the students of the University of Florida, the UF Chapter of the Young Democratic Socialists of America has launched a campaign calling for the University to be made a sanctuary from all forms of oppression. We seek to fight for the rights and safety of students and workers against the onslaught of ICE, the dismantling of their departments and resources, and the suppression of their civil liberties.

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.

To realize this program, the UF Chapter of the Young Democratic Socialists of America, as supported by the students of the University of Florida, call upon all bodies of UF Administration to heed our demands:

• The rescinding of the current 287(g) agreement between UFPD and ICE effective immediately. This shall occur along with commitments by University administration and police to refrain from signing such an agreement again in the future no matter the circumstance. This may be enforced by regulations which bind the institution of any such policies to the approval of the general student body of the University of Florida, such as through referendum voted on by students at large.

• Readmit students in good standing who have been deported by ICE, have chosen to self-deport, have had their visas revoked, or have been affected by ICE in any way. This includes those 8 verified instances of visa revocations that occurred as of April 10, along with the readmittance of Felipe Zapata Velásquez, and guarantees that their statuses as students of the University of Florida will be protected.

• Expansion of UF legal services to immigrant and foreign students, including but not limited to:

  • The Hiring of immigration attorneys and student advisors to represent and assist students in all matters pertaining to their status as an international student or a non-citizen, with the goal of providing resources and guidance that will allow the student to continue a fulfilling time at the University of Florida or pursuing more permanent residency in the United States if they choose to.

  • Partnership with outside firms and organizations (such as the American Civil Liberties Union or the National Lawyers Guild) to provide legal services to students in areas where UF legal services is unable to.

• Require UF to send alerts to students through UF ALERT, and other such avenues of admin to student communication, when any law enforcement body contracted under a 287(g) agreement is present on campus or is presumed to be carrying out immigrant detention on or near campus.

• Guarantees to the civil liberties of students, faculty, and staff, prohibiting the University from unilaterally disenfranchising such individuals for otherwise inconspicuous action or sentiment. This includes but is not limited to:

  • Prohibiting administration in sharing any sensitive data, including but not limited to immigration status with ICE

  • Prohibiting administration from targeting students for protected speech, such as political statements and/or protests

• Guarantees to the safety and well-being of all workers on campus, including but not limited to:

  • Elimination of any discrimination against campus workers on the basis of immigration status, which includes ensuring equitable hiring, managing, and firing processes.

  • Elimination of any discrimination against all campus workers in the realms of salary and hours, with commitments to disclosing the pay of any employee hired by UF contractors.

  • Prohibition on administration or contracted bodies from firing or engaging in disciplinary action against international student workers for their protected speech and right to organize.

• Provision of trainings and resources by the University of Florida to all students in order to ensure that they attend and graduate UF knowledgeable on their rights as residents of the United States, which may include:

  • Mandatory completion by all students intending to graduate from the University of Florida of a Know Your Rights Course or Module which will involve units, lessons, and quizzes on the basic rights of students, residents, and citizens of the United States.
  • Mandatory attendance of all incoming or transferring students to a Know Your Rights presentation held at preview, which will also distribute red cards containing information on the basic rights of students and information on how to protect your rights when encountering U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.

If the University of Florida is not willing to meet these demands or the aims of our program demanding at minimum the well-being of students and the maximum non-compliance with ICE, the UF Chapter of the Young Democratic Socialists of America, as supported by the student body of the University of Florida as measured by the signatures collected herein, will engage in all viable and legal means to raise awareness of the University’s mistreatment of its students and means to pressure the University to institute the above.