YDSA Petition for divestment from ICE

The University of Iowa Police Department (UIPD) operates multiple automated license plate reader (ALPR) cameras across campus. ALPRs gather data on all vehicles in their view by taking pictures of their license plates, models, and bumper stickers—storing this data for up to 30 days. Contrary to statements from Flock and UIPD, this data is liable to be shared with local and federal police (ACLU). Flock data is frequently given to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in furtherance of their operations (404 media), often without formal authority to access this surveillance data. We maintain that this improper and unwarranted surveillance of innocent citizens negatively impacts the health and safety of the community.

Aramark is a multi-billion dollar company that provides food, facility management, and more services to health care facilities, universities, schools, prisons, stadiums, and more. At the University of Iowa, they manage the athletic food services. Most notably, they run the concessions at Kinnick Stadium and other arenas on campus. The conglomerate is involved in many unethical practices that have prompted YDSA to take action. Firstly, Aramark is a collaborator with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), having employees and job listings at multiple different ICE detention facilities. Within these facilities, there are notoriously bad conditions with reports of overcrowding, physical and sexual abuse, and even murder. Secondly, Aramark has a long history of poor and even dangerous food quality that they provide to those incarcerated, including spoiled milk, rotten meat, and even repeated accounts of food with maggots and mice droppings. Lastly, Aramark's IN2WORK program relies on the labor of over 20,000 incarcerated individuals, in which they are classified as “students”  rather than workers, to avoid paying them their due wages. Additionally, there are nine US states in which their “students” are not paid for their work at all, essentially employing slave labor.

It is because of these affiliations between these private companies and the University of Iowa that YDSA calls for the University of Iowa meet our demands:

1. YDSA at the University of Iowa, and the signers of this petition call on the University of Iowa to remove all Flock cameras and protect the privacy of all in our community.
2. YDSA at the University of Iowa and the signers of this petition call on University of Iowa  President Barbara Wilson, Assistant Vice President for Campus Safety Mark Bullock, and Chief of UIPD Lucy Weiderholt to take all available actions to remove ALPR cameras from the campus immediately.
3. The YDSA at the University of Iowa and the signers of this petition call on the University of Iowa to end all relations with Aramark and terminate the services they provide for the University.
4. The YDSA at the University of Iowa and the signers of this petition call on the University of Iowa to stop their private contracting of these services and develop their food services in-house.