Federal Immigration Officials on Campus

Recent events have heightened awareness of the threat that immigration enforcement proceedings can pose to our community’s undocumented students and their families. The following guidelines are intended to help PCC faculty, staff, and visitors understand their role and responsibilities if there are concerns about the presence of immigration officials on any of our campuses.

If a federal immigration official requests access to a:

  • District Facility,
  • District Records, or
  • Student Information;

or if you have concerns about the presence of a federal immigration official on campus:

Then:

  1. Stay Calm. Don’t cause panic. Rumors or false information about enforcement actions on campus can spread anxiety and panic. Instead of assuming the worst, take charge and follow these steps to ensure the best outcome.
  2. Request the official’s:
    1. Name
    2. Identification Number
    3. Agency Affiliation
  3. Ask for a copy of any warrant or court order they may have.
  4. Inform the officer you are not impeding the agency’s process but need to refer them to the Superintendent-President’s office for advice and assistance.
  5. Contact Campus Police at 626-585-7484. Campus Police will log the interaction and immediately engage the Superintendent-President and legal counsel to resolve the situation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I release student information to a law enforcement official?
Not without official district permission from the Superintendent-President’s office. The release of student information is governed by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (“FERPA”), which provides key privacy and security protections for our students’ data.

Will PCC Campus Police enforce federal immigration laws?
Absolutely not. The district’s immigration enforcement protocol reads: “District Police & College Safety will neither contact, detain, question, or arrest any individual on the sole basis of suspected undocumented status nor work in concert with federal immigration officials for immigration enforcement purposes.”

Can enforcement officials access all areas of campus without asking permission?
No. While PCC is a public college, and the areas on campus that are open to the public are also open to law enforcement officials, limited access areas – such as locked offices, classrooms, or areas marked “authorized personnel – are off limits without official district permission.

Do international students follow different rules?
While PCC is obligated to provide certain information to federal agencies regarding its international student population, the above protocol applies to resident and international students alike.

More resources