At this time, USG is not aware of any requests or actions concerning our campus from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement or other federal law enforcement agencies. The information here is general guidance to USG staff and academic partners about how to respond to requests from any external law enforcement agencies for information, records, or access to non-public areas of the campus. 

As a public institution, USG’s campus is largely open to the public, but many spaces are restricted for reasons of privacy, safety, and operational needs. This includes classrooms, laboratories, study rooms, conference rooms, offices, the campus recreation center, multi-purpose room, and student lounges.

To access such non-public spaces to conduct enforcement action, law enforcement officials must present a judicial warrant, or be acting on exigent circumstances. Exigent circumstances must exist where there is an immediate need for officers to act without a warrant, such as, for example, where waiting would create a serious risk of death or physical harm, escape of a dangerous criminal, or destruction of evidence in a criminal investigation.

If you receive a request from external law enforcement for information, records, or access to non-public spaces, notify USG Public Safety and Security Office staff: Michael Wahl 301-738-6021 or Philip Tou 301-738-6036. We will coordinate with relevant officials and respond to the request. 

More specifically, we advise that you:

  1. Call USG Public Safety and Security staff, as noted above.
  2. Inform the government/law enforcement officers that you are not authorized to provide access and that they should coordinate with USG Public Safety and Security staff.
  3. Invite them to wait in a public area while you contact USG Public Safety and Security staff.
  4. Do not accept a subpoena or warrant on behalf of USG.
  5. Do not physically block or interfere with enforcement action.
  6. Document the interaction. You have the right to document the situation, including:
    • Date and time
    • Officer name and identification number
    • Agency affiliation
    • Details of the interaction

It’s important to note that the confidentiality of records and information pertaining to faculty, staff and students at USG is generally protected by state and federal laws, including: Gen. Prov. § 4-320.1, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), and the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). 

Federal privacy laws generally prohibit the release of information from a student’s records, including to law enforcement, without a valid court order or subpoena.

If you have further questions, please contact usg-security@umd.edu.