After Washtenaw County Sheriff Alyshia M. Dyer initially stated that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained a mother near a bus stop in the Ypsilanti Community School district, then later explained that ICE denied that encounter last month, there has been a rise in fear, speculation and misinformation being spread among community members.
In this time of uncertainty, it is important to be well-informed to remain calm and properly handle any encounter with ICE one may be a part of or a witness. We have reached out to campus and community leaders to set the record straight and gather tips to help you remain safe if you should come across ICE agents.
ICE presence on campus?
At the beginning of this semester, word of a student being approached by ICE on Washtenaw Community College’s campus began circulating. Linda Blakey, WCC’s Provost & Chief Operating Officer, confirmed that the story was just a rumor.
“There was a lot of social media about ICE being on our campus — that was not the case,” Blakey said. “I feel bad that it caused so many students anxiety. Students feeling that anxiety, certainly, I would want to connect them to our counseling services. We also have a 24-hour line for counseling services.”
Should WCC students be concerned about ICE presence on campus?
A non-immigrant foreign national authorized to enter the U.S. to pursue a full-time academic or language training is an F-1 Student…