University of Minnesota Tightens Building Access, Adds Virtual Options Amid ICE Surge
The University of Minnesota is tightening campus security and offering more remote class flexibility as thousands of federal immigration agents operate in the state under DHS’s Operation Metro Surge. In guidance issued Thursday ahead of Tuesday’s spring‑semester start, administrators said nearly all campus buildings will shift to badge‑only entry via U Cards, while some courses will permit virtual attendance at deans’ discretion to accommodate students worried about travel during the federal surge. The university stressed that its police department does not enforce federal immigration law and does not ask about immigration status, and it is steering non‑citizen students to Student Legal Services for immigration advice, including reminders to carry documentation. The changes mirror moves by other Minnesota institutions and faith groups to shield students and workers as ICE ramp‑ups and the Renee Good shooting fuel protests, fear and legal challenges across the Twin Cities. For a flagship public university, these steps effectively codify a partial sanctuary posture on campus, even as federal operations continue around it.
📌 Key Facts
- University of Minnesota issued new guidance Thursday, just before spring semester begins Tuesday, responding to DHS Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota.
- Nearly all campus buildings will now require U Card badge access, with only some public spaces like student unions and museums remaining open to the public.
- Students will be allowed to attend some classes virtually depending on course and dean decisions, and UMPD explicitly states it does not enforce federal immigration law or inquire about immigration status.
📊 Relevant Data
Operation Metro Surge is a DHS initiative launched in December 2025, deploying thousands of federal agents to Minnesota to arrest noncitizens with criminal records, resulting in over 3,000 arrests in the first six weeks, focusing on individuals described as murderers, rapists, and gang members.
ICE Continues to Remove the Worst of the Worst from Minneapolis — Department of Homeland Security
At the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, the enrolled student population is 56.2% White, 11.2% Asian, 7.2% Black or African American, 6.07% Hispanic or Latino, with approximately 7% international students and 35% students of color.
Minnesota has resettled large numbers of refugees due to policies like the Refugee Act of 1980, which established federal refugee status and resettlement programs, leading to significant Hmong immigration post-1975 Indochina Migration and Refugee Assistance Act, and later Somali and Ethiopian refugees driven by political violence and famine, with church sponsorships and family reunification as key factors.
A history of immigrants and refugees in Minnesota — MinnPost
Immigrants contribute $26 billion to Minnesota's economy, make up 10.8% of the labor force, account for 9.9% of entrepreneurs, and drove 94% of the state's net population growth between 2020 and 2024.
Economist: Immigrants contribute $26 billion to Minnesota's economy — MPR News
In ICE detentions nationally, as of September 2025, individuals with no criminal record (16,523) outnumbered those with criminal records (15,725), representing a shift where non-criminal detainees are the largest group.
Immigrants with no criminal record now largest group in Ice detention — The Guardian
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