The recent detention of over a dozen international students on college campuses across the country has raised concerns among students, faculty and staff about the potential appearance of U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents on campus. Following these high-profile detention cases, on Monday, March 31, the administration created informative cards to be placed in buildings across campus, instructing readers of campus privacy protocols in case of the arrival of a law enforcement agent.
“No Middlebury employee is authorized to give identifiable information about students or employees to third parties, nor are they allowed to grant anyone permission to enter non-public spaces. All such requests, including warrants and subpoenas, should be directed to the Office of General Counsel for legal review or permission,” the cards read.
The cards also include phone numbers for both Public Safety and the Office of the General Counsel, directing anyone dealing with immigration enforcement to these departments as the first points of contact.
The cards do not mention ICE explicitly, but according to Natalie Steen, assistant director for Legal Risk Management and Contracting, faculty questions about what to do in case of the potential appearance of ICE officers on campus inspired the distribution of the cards, which aim to serve as a “cheat sheet” for community members.
“The cards were made because we heard from colleagues (faculty and others) that they were not sure what to do in the event someone came into class and was disruptive or indicated they had a warrant for a particular student or colleague. So, we distributed the cards as a helpful reminder of our long standing policies,” Steen wrote in an email to The Campus.
Steen also said that the custodial staff was responsible for distributing the cards throughout classrooms and dining halls on campus.
On Tuesday, April 1, Middlebury held a Q&A open to faculty and staff with an immigration lawyer, and the administration plans to host a webinar for concerned students on Monday, April 14 at 4 p.m. with Dan Berger, a partner at Green & Spiegel in Rhode Island.
According to Steen, on Monday, April 7, the college joined an amicus brief filed by the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education & Immigration to side with the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) and the Middle East Studies Association. The lawsuit challenges the detainment and deportations of the past few weeks, and joining the brief signals Middlebury’s support for protecting international students studying in the U.S.
The creation of the cards was met with mixed reactions among international students, inspiring both reassurance and frustration. One international student who asked to remain anonymous expressed a desire for the college to take a more aggressive stance.
“I have seen the cards, I think they make the situation more real,” the student said. “I’m glad that Middlebury has responded in some way to explain what’s going on, but I do wish they provided more information on what students can do to protect themselves personally from law enforcement or from anyone who comes in. Because it seems like they’re just taking a very passive stance where as a school they can’t really do anything to protect themselves.”
A faculty member who asked to remain anonymous said that they had not seen any informational cards placed in the rooms they teach but thought it was a good idea to provide such a summary. The professor added that they recently reminded students in their classes that college classrooms are private spaces that law enforcement cannot enter without a warrant.
“I haven’t addressed the cards specifically (because there are no cards to address), but I have discussed the changing landscape of immigration enforcement as it intersects with academic speech rights,” the professor wrote in an email to The Campus.
Middlebury is not alone in confronting international students’ concerns. Tufts University recently released a statement in support of an international graduate student, Rümeysa Öztürk, who was taken into custody off the street by the Department of Homeland Security. The State Department terminated Öztürk’s visa, though Tufts University President Sunil Kumar asserted that she was in good standing with the college and the law.
ICE is currently detaining Öztürk, along with at least a dozen other students and scholars, at a detention center in Louisiana after a flight departing from Burlington airport. Many of those detained have been granted the right to live in the U.S either as a permanent resident or through a work or student visa. Some of the individuals have engaged in some form of pro-Palestinian political activism, prompting ICE to justify the deportations on the grounds of their alleged sympathizing with foreign terrorist groups such as Hamas.
The anonymous professor stated that in the current political climate, it is essential for members of the college community to be aware of their legal rights and obligations in order to protect themselves.
“I think it is crucial that faculty, staff, and students know our rights, and that we do our very best to defend those rights as they come under assault by an administration that is pushing to illegalize speech as a means of illegalizing persons,” the professor wrote. “Faculty working conditions, which include the quality of academic freedom we enjoy, are student learning conditions, and vice versa.”
Editor’s Note: Editor in Chief Ryan McElroy ’25 contributed reporting to this article.
Maggie Bryan '25 (she/her) is the Senior News Editor.
Maggie is a senior at Middlebury, majoring in Environmental Policy and French. She previously held roles as Senior Arts and Culture Editor, Arts and Culture Editor, and Staff. During her free time, she loves running, listening to live music, drinking coffee, and teaching spin classes. She is from Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Rosella Graham '25 (she/her) is a News Editor.
Rosella is an International Politics & Economics major and Spanish minor from San Mateo, California. She spent her junior year in Madrid and outside of The Campus she enjoys co-hosting a radio show and playing lacrosse with friends.
