This story is part of our ongoing series, Ask INDY, in which INDY staffers put their expertise (and impeccable taste) to use answering your questions about navigating life in the Triangle.
It’s officially back-to-school season, which means families are preparing for (and some kids are dreading) the transition from vacations to academia.
It’s been a rough summer for higher education. The federal administration has cut millions in research funds across the nation, called for the dismantlement of the Department of Education, and cracked down on diversity, equity, and inclusion across public and private universities. Institutions like Brown, Columbia, and Harvard Universities are striking settlements with the Trump administration to restore funding and end federal investigations into alleged antisemitism. In Durham, Duke University is being called on to submit admissions demographics ensuring its compliance with the death of affirmative action.
The last time many university students were in class, they were balancing the spring semester with fears of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on campus. In April, Inside Higher Ed reported over 1,800 international students and recent graduates had their legal statuses changed. That month, six students from UNC-Chapel Hill and two students from North Carolina State University had their visas revoked. At Duke, visas were revoked from two students and one alumnus.
With students heading back to school in an equally—if not even more—precarious state for higher education, one reader wrote in:
Which colleges are collaborating with ICE/deportation? Which have clear opposition? How are colleges/universities protecting their international students and staff? Are protections for academic staff different from protections for staff in groundskeeping, kitchen, or janitorial roles?
Seeing how I’m writing this from my UNC-CH dorm, it makes sense to start with my home turf. Back in January, Chancellor Lee Roberts announced that UNC will comply with ICE if the agency decides to enter campus. In an interview with The Daily Tar Heel in April, Roberts further explained his comment, saying that UNC as a public institution cannot choose which laws to uphold or which government agencies to comply with under lawful requests.
Duke, which is a private institution, does not appear to have made any public statement announcing its intent to comply with or defy ICE on campus. Administration from both universities released statements voicing support of international students.
In a statement, UNC Media Relations said that student immigration status is protected under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and referred the INDY to UNC Police General Order 00-01R13, which states that all employees must abide by town, state, and national laws. The order also states that employees should not acknowledge or show recognition of uniformed employees in civilian clothing unless addressed first by the undercover employee to “prevent injury or damage to a police operation in the event the employee is working in an undercover capacity.”
UNC has not released information about specific protections for international faculty or staff.
North Carolina Senate Bill 153, also known as the North Carolina Border Protection Act, would block the 17 UNC System institutions—including UNC-CH, NCSU, and North Carolina Central University—from interfering with ICE presence on campuses, in addition to increasing ties between state law enforcement and ICE and allowing legal action against “sanctuary cities” that refuse to cooperate with ICE. (North Carolina does not have any designated sanctuary cities according to the U.S. Department of Justice’s Sanctuary Jurisdiction List, though the Trump administration flagged Durham, Orange, and Chatham Counties as such in May before taking down the list.)
The proposed legislation was vetoed by Governor Josh Stein in June, but that veto could be overturned by Republican majorities in both the state Senate and House.
Across the nation, some students have been pushing for their universities to become “sanctuary campuses” that prioritize protecting undocumented students, faculty, and staff. Students at UNC Asheville protested in favor of sanctuary status in February. Similar anti-ICE protests were held at universities like Duke and UNC, but no local university has made a clear statement of opposition against ICE.
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