On February 10, LMU quietly adopted a policy outlining its protocol for visits from law enforcement and immigration officers. At first glance, it appeared to be nothing more than a routine, precautionary response to the ongoing barrage of immigration and higher-education-related executive orders from the Trump administration. However, a rumor was spreading on campus that led many to suspect something specific had prompted this move.
This rumor first came to my attention in mid February, when a faculty member shared that they had received notice of a visit from federal officers– possibly Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)– to campus. Through conversations with faculty across the university, I discovered that similar memos had been sent throughout multiple departments, stating that federal officials visited campus, and offering guidance on how to handle potential encounters.
Sources familiar with the matter clarified that the officers were not ICE, but officials from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The officials visited campus in early February without a warrant to speak with a member of the Jesuit community, and reportedly reached the Jesuit community building before university administration became aware of their presence. While their purpose for visiting LMU remains unclear, sources indicated that it was not related to the investigation or arrest of any LMU students, staff, or faculty.
Upon hearing the initial claim that immigration enforcement had possibly visited campus, I began investigating this incident with the intention of reporting it for The Lion. Once I had gathered a fuller understanding of what took place, I began searching for someone who would be willing to verify these events on the record. Not long after, I was asked by an authority within the school not to move forward with my story. I was told the matter was highly sensitive, that no students were aware of it, and that reporting it could cause undue panic among those who might believe that this incident directly threatened them.
I was very conflicted. On the one hand, I had good reason to believe that the individual asking me to withhold the story was acting in good faith. It was clear that their intention was to protect students, and not the university’s image. On the other hand, I knew for a fact that many students had already heard a version of the story, and held serious misconceptions about what took place. As an LMU student myself, I was also concerned about the personal consequences of defying this request. Ultimately, I decided not to move forward with the story at that time– but now that I am graduating, I’d like to share my perspective on how this affair unfolded.
I believe it was a mistake for the school to cover this incident up, one that caused unnecessary confusion, fear, distrust among its students and faculty. I understand that at least some of the people involved in keeping this matter a secret merely hoped to preserve a safe learning environment for students. However, the rumor was already out there, and the school’s failure to publicly address it led many to fear the worst. Most of the people I’ve spoken to who are aware of this incident assumed these officials had come to investigate or detain a student– and considering the rampant detentions of university students across the country, that assumption strikes me as entirely rational.
But the reality of the situation is that no LMU student, staff, or faculty member was immediately threatened by this particular incident. Clarifying this for the public record could have quelled student fears, rather than worsening them. I think that DHS officials entering campus without a warrant is cause for concern under any circumstance, but the school’s guarded reaction to all of this certainly didn’t invite positive speculation. When something like this happens, silence creates far more fear and confusion than transparency would.
Unfortunately, recent months have shown us the faltering ability of universities to protect international students amid a relentless campaign of deportations and targeted repression of political speech. Some university administrations have stooped to shameful lows in the face of government scrutiny, sacrificing core values like free speech and academic freedom.
While our university has a long way to go in living up to its social justice values– namely, paying its workers dignified wages and divesting from companies engaged in human rights violations– it’s far from the worst. We can be grateful that there are strong willed, compassionate people working within our school who have made it their mission to protect students. My departing hope is that if scrutiny comes our way, LMU will stand firmly behind its students, and that secrecy and silence will not be the order of the day.
