An individual spotted on American University’s campus wearing a jacket reading “ICE - Immigration” was not a real Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent, Chief Financial Officer, Vice President and Treasurer Bronté Burleigh-Jones and Assistant Vice President for University Police Services and Emergency Management Phil Morse wrote in an email to the community Friday.
The University has yet to identify the individual at the time of the email but said AU Police Department “continues to investigate.”
“We confirmed with law enforcement that there were no official ICE operations at American University today,” the email read. “No law enforcement entities contacted AUPD or any other university offices about official activity on campus.”
Eagle reporters first saw the impersonator around 12:30 p.m. in the McKinley Building. Reporters also observed AUPD officers entering McKinley around 12:50 p.m. and several officers and vehicles around the south side of campus soon after. Another Eagle reporter saw the individual enter the School of International Service building just after 1:30 p.m.
The email referred community members to the University’s Feb. 6 guidance, which stated that AUPD would not participate in joint immigration enforcement efforts unless required by law.
The impersonator’s appearance on campus comes in the wake of President Donald Trump’s mass deportation efforts, which have sparked fear among immigrant communities.
ICE impersonators have been found in at least three states, according to a Feb. 5 CNN report. At Temple University in Philadelphia, one student was placed on interim suspension and charged with “impersonating a public servant.”
The University encouraged anyone with questions about law enforcement activity on campus to reach out to AUPD.
“The most important things each of us can do are to report suspicious activity to AUPD so it can be promptly investigated and avoid rushed conclusions,” Burleigh-Jones and Morse wrote.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
This article was edited by Owen Auston-Babcock, Tyler Davis and Abigail Turner. Copy editing done by Luna Jinks and Olivia Citarella.
