Yana McGuire | Deputy Editor
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.”
Students can get more information about counseling services by visiting Student Center, SC 206 or the WCC website. The 24-hour line links students to an external licensed mental health provider and can be reached at 1-833-922-4968.
WCC police chief says immigration enforcement not campus safety’s function
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.
All F-1 students have provided the proper documentation that they need to get the F-1 visa, which allows them to be a student at WCC. So, there should be no reason for any students to be detained by ICE during this semester, according to Blakey.
Additionally, in an Immigration Town Hall, Dyer said that ICE informed her they “do not have any plans to do any kind of targeted school enforcement or any enforcement at bus stops.”
What should students do if they are approached by ICE on Campus?
The main goal is to remain safe. Do not run or use language that could escalate the situation. Before answering any questions or providing any documents to an agent, students are advised to contact WCC’s public safety at 734-973-3411. This goes for US students that may be witnessing an encounter as well.
“With any law enforcement on campus, we want to call public safety,” Blakey said. “If we have any law enforcement, whether it be federal law enforcement, local law enforcement, they’re generally working with our public safety department in terms of letting them kind of handle the situation.”
How can I protect myself from off campus encounters?
Preparation is key. Keep the number or card of a respected immigration attorney. If possible, memorize the number. Make sure your emergency contact has the attorney’s number as well.
Rebecca Olszewski, Managing Attorney of the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center (MIRC) Ypsilanti branch, stated that it is critical to seek immigration advice only from qualified immigration attorneys or Department of Justice accredited representatives, not notarios.
Notarios Publicos are highly trained legal professionals similar to attorneys who draft legal documents in Hispanic countries, according to the National Notary Association. However, in the United States, Notaries are state-commissioned officials to act as an impartial witness in preventing fraud during the signing of important documents. They are not licensed attorneys. If someone confuses the two, it could make your situation worse.
“I’ve seen real dire consequences from that,” Olszewski said. “Immigration laws is its own special subject, and it is changing so rapidly and so frequently. It’s just not something that people who are not lawyers should dabble in, you know, even with a good intention of wanting to help.”
The National Immigrant Justice Center lists selecting emergency contacts, memorizing those contact phone numbers, and carrying proper documentation, such as a student visa on you at all times as essential parts for preparing.
If a student has lived in the U.S. for over two years, carry documents that prove it, such as utility bills, leases, paycheck stubs. This is important because on January 20, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order allowing ICE to deport undocumented immigrants who cannot prove they’ve been in the U.S. for more than two years — without ever seeing a judge, according to the Nation Immigration Form. Although F1 students are documented, having this information on hand will help the ICE encounter move quickly.
Furthermore, developing a strong emergency response plan in case of detainment or arrest helps quiet the chaos a student and their family members may experience.
Although ICE denied the school bus incident, Olszewski confirmed that people are being arrested in certain Washtenaw County neighborhoods every day.
“It’s important to prepare ahead of time and to know in the worst-case scenario, what to do,” Olszewski said. “I think that might bring a little bit of calmness to the situation, instead of the panic of like, ‘oh my gosh, who’s going to pick up the kids.’”
Your emergency plan may look like keeping all other important documents — such as property deeds in an easily accessible place. Making copies of these documents for a trusted family member to keep for quicker access. Providing emergency contact information to your child’s day care or school with a written document that authorizes the emergency contact to temporarily make medical and legal decisions for your child. One way this can be done is by completing and notarizing a Delegation of Parental Authority form.
Also, inform your family and friends that if you are detained by ICE, they can use the detained immigrant information locator line to find you, which can be located on the MIRC website.
Non-citizens have rights, and it is important to know and defend them. If you are unsure of your rights, The Immigrant Legal Resource Center offers a free printable “Red Card” online that explains the rights non-citizens have and how to properly exercise them. This card be given to an ICE agent during an encounter.
MIRC has a version of this card called the “Blue Card” available for pickup in their local office. The goal of these cards is to be helpful at the time of encounters. However, that is not always the case.
“I don’t think that (it’s) their Get Out of Jail Free card,” Olszewski said. “In the moment, one would hope they would be respected — it’s more for your knowledge and protection.”
Face to face with an ICE agent? Here is what you should do.
More than anything else, remain calm — even if you may believe your rights are being violated, do not run, argue, lie about your status, resist or fight the officer. Keep your hands where the agent can see them. If you need to reach somewhere to show your papers, tell the agent, then move slowly when reaching for papers, according to the National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC)
Calmly ask the agent if you are being arrested or detained. If the answer is no, you are not under arrest or being detained, ask if you are free to leave. If they say yes, slowly, and calmly walk.
You have the right to remain silent If the answer is yes, you are under arrest and/or being detained. Being silent is highly recommended by the NIJC as a key factor in protecting your rights. You do not have to tell them how you came to America or where you are from.
If arrested, contact your immigration attorney as soon as you are able to.
Olszewski encourages citizens who are witnessing an ICE encounter to stay at a safe distance and record the incident but be mindful of how the recording is used afterward.
“The purpose (of recording) is to make sure someone knows that they’ve (the detainee) been arrested or detained,” Olszewski said. “I think it’s a situation that should be handled with care and a certain amount of discretion.”
Move forward without fear.
Challenging situations can bring fear, and mistakes caused by misinformation can have life-altering consequences. Proactive and informed planning are key to staying calm and remaining safe in uncertain times.
