UWM will comply with all applicable laws and is committed to cooperating with law enforcement within the constraints of the law and our own delegated responsibilities.
We are committed to maintaining a safe and inclusive environment that facilitates university operations and our university’s mission, including students’ ability to access education without disruption.
UWM strives to create an environment that protects privacy and the rights of students, faculty and staff under the law.
UWM provides information on the immigration status of its students, faculty or staff only when required by law.
UWM will continue to closely monitor federal immigration policies and enforcement that may affect our students, faculty and staff.
Public Safety
UWMPD has a set of procedures and practices it follows related to immigration enforcement, and its officers will not detain or arrest an individual solely based on a suspected violation of immigration law and will not routinely inquire about an individual’s immigration status.
No. UWMPD will not participate in federal immigration enforcement actions. Federal agents must use appropriate legal processes if they are on campus and wish to contact individual students or employees about enforcement-related issues.
No. An individual’s immigration status does not determine whether UWMPD will provide campus and community safety-related services and will only be relevant if the individual is involved in serious crimes. An individual’s immigration status does not affect their ability to file a police report with UWMPD.
The university does not typically use RAVE Alerts to notify campus of federal or other law enforcement presence.
UWM uses RAVE Alerts to provide information about an immediate, actively occurring, and confirmed emergency situation on campus — or a situation with the potential to affect campus — that requires the community to take immediate action to stay safe.
If an incident becomes an imminent threat to the health or safety of students or employees on campus, a RAVE Alert may be issued.
A sighting of, or an arrest by, federal law enforcement on campus does not necessitate a call to 911 or the UWMPD non-emergency line unless one of the below criteria apply:
- Your physical safety, or that of someone else, is in immediate jeopardy
- There is civil disorder or a likelihood of violence
- Destruction of property is occurring
If approached by a federal law enforcement officer on campus, employees should immediately call the UWMPD at 414-229-4627 and the Office of Legal Affairs at 414-229-4278 and ask to speak with one of the attorneys. Additional detail on these interactions is included in the section below.
The Milwaukee Police Department has its own posted policies on the issue (PDF).
Federal Law Enforcement Access to Campus Spaces
Generally, no. However, federal agents are only able to access public spaces. Access to non-public areas requires a warrant. Public and non-public spaces are addressed below.
If any outside government agent comes to your workplace:
- Stay calm and remain professional.
- Ask the agent for their name and to see their government-issued badge. Most likely the agent will show you their badge without you asking. If not, it is your right to ask for this.
- Verify the agent’s identity and agency with a badge and ask the agent why they are on campus, if they have not shared that information already.
- Ask the agent to have a seat in a waiting room or lobby. If you do not have such a space, politely ask them to wait where they are while you try to reach the proper contacts.
- Call the UWM Police Department at 414-229-4627 and the Office of Legal Affairs at 414-229-4278 and speak with one of the attorneys. Tell the attorney the following information: “Agent X from the Department of Y is here to talk to you about Z.” Do not leave a voicemail message with Legal Affairs.
- If no one from Legal Affairs is available, tell the agent that no one is available right now. Ask the agent if they can come back another time.
- Do not give the agent access to any paper files or access to any computer systems. Agents are free to enter any public areas of your workplace but must have a valid search warrant to enter a non-public area.
- Once on site, the UWMPD will also record the situation with body-worn cameras and document the actions being taken.
If the agent approaches a student worker first, the student should immediately get their supervisor. If their supervisor is not available, the student worker should find another manager in their unit.
The attorney on call will ask the caller to describe the encounter in detail and review the contents of the warrant or any other legal document that is presented to the employee. If you can, scan or photograph the warrant.
If agents disregard your instructions or requests, do not interfere with their actions.
If agents act — with or without awaiting guidance from you or others on campus and regardless of whether they have presented a warrant — it is important that you do not intervene or block their movement, as obstructing or otherwise interfering with law enforcement activity can be a crime.
Public vs. Non-Public Areas
Agents are free to enter any public areas of your workplace but must have a valid warrant to enter a non-public area. Employees may say to the law enforcement agent, “I am not authorized to give you consent to enter or accept legal documents,” and contact the UWMPD and Office of Legal Affairs as directed above.
As a public institution, many areas within the campus and its facilities are open to the public. Generally, federal law enforcement officers are authorized by law to enter public spaces without special permission. Public areas may include sidewalks; green spaces; parking lots and ramps; and lobby, waiting, or hallway areas that are open to the public. Campus libraries and museums that are open to the public are also generally considered public areas. Campus events, such as lectures, forums and performances that are free and open to the public, or meetings subject to the Wisconsin Open Meetings law are also generally deemed to be public areas.
Some university areas, such as faculty, staff and student offices, residence halls, laboratories, and areas accessible only by a key or key card, are not open to the public without permission.
Classrooms during class sessions are considered non-public areas. Other non-public spaces would include areas only available to staff or individuals with a staff escort, areas holding events that require a ticket for admittance, privately or university-owned vehicles, and other areas as long as there is a reasonable expectation of privacy in that space.
Generally, federal law enforcement may not enter non-public areas without permission from individuals authorized to provide permission on behalf of the university, unless the officer presents a valid warrant or exigent circumstances are present.
A valid warrant must be signed and dated by a judge. It will include a period within which the search must be conducted, a description of the premises to be searched, and a list of items to be searched for and seized (e.g., payroll records, employee identification documents, etc.).
Only authorized university officials such as Facilities Planning & Management and/or building managers may affix signage restricting access inside campus buildings. Signs are not to be placed on exterior doors of campus facilities.
Classrooms and instructional labs are already non-public areas while in use for instruction and do not need signs for this purpose. Research and instructional areas can also be restricted from entrance by the public. If you have labs and other research areas that are already treated as restricted but do not have official UWM signs, you can work directly with Campus Planning to request official signs.
Private offices are already regarded as non-public areas and do not need signage to restrict access.
For other areas where public access is not intended, please reach out to OLA if you have questions about whether additional signage is necessary and advised.
Yes. A residence hall room is considered a non-public and cannot be legally accessed by federal law enforcement officers without a valid judicial warrant, the voluntary consent of the occupant, or exigent circumstances. A student need not allow entry to any law enforcement officer who is not in possession of a judicial warrant.
Additional Privacy Information
The UWM Police Department uses a limited number of automated license plate reader (ALPR) cameras (e.g., Flock Safety), which capture still images of vehicles, to support our critical mission of keeping our campus community safe.
ALPR cameras support crime prevention and investigations by helping UWMPD quickly identify vehicles tied to serious incidents or crimes, such as stolen vehicles, Amber Alerts, violent offenses, and missing persons. The cameras are focused on vehicle data — not individuals. The technology captures license plates and vehicle characteristics from fixed, visible public locations. It does not gather personal identity details about drivers or passengers, and it does not use facial recognition.
The images collected from ALPR cameras are still images capturing vehicle information and are not used to randomly monitor or track individuals’ movements on campus or to conduct random or continuous surveillance. They are not used to track vehicles for immigration enforcement, nor do they have the capability to identify drivers or vehicle occupants through facial recognition.
Per UWMPD policy, internal access to the ALPR system is restricted to authorized UWMPD personnel only. All access and use are logged and audited to ensure compliance with UWMPD policy and procedures.
No. UWMPD does not share information gathered from routine encounters with federal authorities.
UWM will not provide information on the immigration status of its students, faculty, or staff unless required by law. If asked by an agent to provide private information about a student, faculty or staff member, the employee may say “I am not authorized to provide the requested information,” and contact the Office of Legal Affairs.
No. OLA represents the university, including employees acting in their official capacities. OLA does not represent faculty, staff or students in personal legal matters outside the scope of their business as university officials. Individuals needing personal legal assistance may contact the Milwaukee Bar Association Lawyer Referral & Information Service at 414-274-6768 or the State Bar of Wisconsin Lawyer Referral and Information Service at 608-257-4666 or 608-257-3838. Students may also contact Law for Learners.
Resources
- Know Your Rights “Red Card” (available in several languages)
- Know your Rights: If ICE Visits Your Home
- American Civil Liberties Union