To: Dr. Aysegul Timur, President, Florida Gulf Coast University; Chief Craig W. Kowalski, FGCU Police Department; FGCU Board of Trustees

As alumni, current students, prospective students, and parents of students of Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) and community members, we are deeply disturbed by the recent reporting that, as of March 28, 2025, FGCU has enrolled to participate in a non-mandatory agreement between campus police department and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement . This would allow undocumented individuals who ICE "have determined to be removable will be arrested on behalf of ICE" by participating personnel and transported by campus police on the same day "to the relevant ICE detention office or facility."We are equally alarmed that students, faculty, and alumni were first made aware of this agreement on April 17th and April 22nd, nearly a month later through newspapers such as Inside Higher Education and the News Press instead of directly from FGCU communications and the Office of the President.

We call for the immediate withdrawal of FGCU’s participation in the 287(g) program and full transparency in conversations that led to this decision without considering affected parties.

This move threatens the safety and trust of a student body that is diverse, which includes students protected by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and international students. They are classmates, faculty, and community leaders. WIth FGCU attempting to be recognized as a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) since 2023 and a Hispanic population that varies from 21.9-22.2% the past few years, these recent developments betray those they hope to serve.

We affirm that every member of our university community has a basic right to feel safe on campus—free from profiling, surveillance, and fear of deportation. While FGCU states that  “Campus police officers need to be trained and certified by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement before they can have the authority to stop, question and detain students or people who they suspect are in the country illegally,” FGCU’s decision to involve campus police in stopping, questioning, and detaining individuals they merely suspect—without certainty—of being in the country illegally will only exacerbate mental health challenges, as students may think twice about seeking help, reporting crimes, or engaging fully in campus life.

This non-mandatory agreement creates an unsafe and unwelcoming environment for mixed status families, which could result in a decline in parental participation and affect attendance to commencement ceremonies and high school graduations at Alico Arena. 

FGCU’s quiet willingness to comply with ICE stands in direct conflict with its stated mission to provide academic, economic, and cultural enrichment for our community. Historically, university campuses have been agents of change for social change due to the secure learning environments they create. As a relatively new institution, FGCU has the opportunity to be known as a change maker for positive community impact and reverse their decision. 

We urge the FGCU Board of Trustees,  President Timur, and Chief Kowalski to stand up for the values our institution claims to promote a culture of safety and commitment to student’s personal growth.

We call on our university leadership to reaffirm FGCU’s commitment to protect ALL students, faculty, and staff.

In solidarity and strength,