U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

The recent increase in activity of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers has led to questions regarding how the university responds to requests from government agencies. As President Fry communicated last week, the university has not, to date, received any reports of ICE agents being on campus. By way of reminder, if law enforcement does arrive and/or seeks information on employees, students, or clinical patients, for any reason, it is our policy that such information should not be shared without appropriate verification and authority.  Instead, the officer/agent should be referred to the Office of University Counsel at 215.204.6542.

The following information may be shared with those of your colleagues who may require it.

• ICE agents are allowed in spaces open to the public. They are not allowed, without a warrant, to be in private areas of the university (i.e., spaces that are restricted from public access).
• If an ICE agent asks you a question, you do not have to answer, as you have the right to remain silent.
• ICE agents attempting an immigration enforcement action on university property regarding our employees, students or clinical patients should be referred to University Counsel. Personally identifiable information (PII) and/or protected health information (PHI) requires an arrest warrant, a search warrant, or other lawful court order to authorize disclosure. Providing PII and/or PHI to law enforcement without appropriate documentation could violate privacy laws, such as Federal Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
• Any employee who receives a warrant, court order, or subpoena should forward it to the Office of University Counsel at ucounsel@temple.edu and should take no further action without further direction. Law enforcement personnel can also be referred to University Counsel at 215.204.6542 for follow-up.

Please share this information with those on your teams who may, because of their position or location, encounter ICE agents. Feel free to reach out to University Counsel at 215.204.6542 or HR at 215.204.7174 with questions.