Illinois University Moves Oak Brook Classes Online Over ICE Office and Protest Fears

Lewis University says it will move all in‑person classes at its Oak Brook, Illinois location online from Feb. 16 through Feb. 21 after learning that the U.S. General Services Administration is leasing space in the same building to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for administrative offices. In a Sunday statement, the private Catholic university said it does not control other tenants’ leases but is acting "in light of social media attention referencing the potential for protests at the site, and the community's concerns regarding ICE" to "support a safe, productive, and welcoming learning environment." The school is one of several tenants at 1111 W. 22nd Street and says it is in contact with property management while it evaluates operations at the site beyond Feb. 21, offering counseling and telehealth services to students who feel stressed or unsafe. The move comes amid escalating national tensions around ICE after the fatal shootings of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis and agency data showing sharp spikes in assaults, vehicle attacks and threats against officers, which have fueled both protests and heavy‑handed federal responses. For higher education, the episode illustrates how ICE’s growing footprint in civilian office space and local backlash to immigration enforcement are beginning to directly shape campus security decisions and instructional plans even far from the southern border.