The following resolution was approved at the URA-AFT membership meeting January 12, 2026.
In response to the escalating, unchecked violent action by ICE agents, the URA membership states our stance that Rutgers management should declare Rutgers campuses as Sanctuary Campuses.
The presence of ICE agents is a threat to the entire university community. ICE agents directly target vulnerable student, staff and faculty populations with threats of violence, injury, legal harm, and even death.
Last week, on January 7, an ICE agent killed Renee Nicole Good, an unarmed bystander. On New Year’s Eve, an off duty- ICE agent killed U.S. citizen Keith Porter, in his backyard in California. Since the start of the second Trump administration, ICE agents have been connected to 14 shootings, including at least four fatal shootings. Since the start of 2025, 32 people have died in ICE detention. The mere presence of ICE agents in a community constitutes a potentially lethal threat to all residents, even those not directly targeted by the agency.
By making Rutgers a Sanctuary Campus, we call on Rutgers administration to use every legal avenue to refuse to collaborate with ICE and its agents.
We call on Rutgers management to reaffirm its commitment to FERPA requirements for all student record releases, and to similarly protect information about faculty and staff.
We call on Rutgers management to direct Rutgers campus police officers not to assist ICE agents with information and affirm that as extensions of NJ State Police, RUPD are governed by legislation like the Immigrant Trust Directive.
We call on President Tate to issue a Welcoming Statement for Spring 2026, welcoming students of all walks of life to Rutgers.
We call on Rutgers to designate non-public zones of safety on campus that students, staff, and workers can access during the threat of ICE raids on campus, and publish a map to communicate these safe zones to our community.
URA-AFT issues this statement in solidarity with Rutgers students who also are making this demand. We are proud to have a union that can take a stand on important issues and challenge Rutgers management to be a better institution with support and in service to everyone in the Rutgers community.
