Guidance Related to Federal Immigration Enforcement
UMBC is not aware of any requests or actions concerning our campus from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or other federal law enforcement agencies at this time. The information here is general guidance concerning requests from any external law enforcement agencies for information, records, or access to non-public areas of the campus.
As a public institution, UMBC’s campus is largely open to the public, but many spaces are restricted for reasons of privacy, safety, and operational needs—including residence halls, classrooms, laboratories, and administrative and faculty offices. To access such non-public areas, law enforcement must have a judicial warrant or subpoena. Additionally, 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 receive a request from external law enforcement for information, records, or access to non-public space on campus, notify UMBC Police (410-455-5555), who will coordinate with relevant university officials and respond to the request. More specifically, we advise that you:
- Call UMBC Police, as noted above.
- Inform the government/law enforcement agent that you are not authorized to provide access and that they should coordinate with UMBC Police.
- Invite them to wait in a public area while you contact UMBC Police.
- Do not accept a subpoena or warrant on behalf of the university yourself.
- Do not physically block or interfere with enforcement action.
- 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
If you have further questions, please reach out to ogc@umbc.edu. For additional information regarding immigration policy changes that may impact international students, scholars, and employees, please visit the policy updates page on the Office of International Students and Scholars website.
Attorney General of the State of Maryland:
Guidance to Colleges and Universities Regarding Immigration Enforcement
UMBC’s Office of the General Counsel provides legal counsel and support to UMBC. Our attorneys are not authorized to provide legal services on personal matters to students, faculty and staff. UMBC Regular and Contingent II employees have access to USM’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) which provides legal support services for personal matters.
Legal Resources:
This site provides information on Maryland and Federal law affecting low- and moderate-income Marylanders and their families. Maryland’s Peoples Law Library (PLL) is a legal information and self-help website maintained by the Maryland State Law Library, a court-related agency of the Maryland Judiciary, and supported by Maryland’s non-profit legal services providers
Maryland State agency regulations are compiled in the Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR). COMAR contains 33 Titles, with each Title usually corresponding to a department or agency.
Code of Maryland (Unannotated)
Cornell University Law School U.S. Code Collection
U.S. Code is a consolidation of the general and permanent laws of the U.S. arranged by subject matter into fifty different titles.
Maryland Public Information Act Manual (17th Ed.)
The Maryland Public Information Act Manual provides access to government records through the Maryland Public Information Act.
Maryland Manual On-Line: A Guide to Maryland Government
The Maryland Manual is a constantly updated guide to Maryland government and provides an overview of the organizational structure and staffing of the executive, legislative and judicial branches of Maryland government.
Opinions of the Attorney General of Maryland
An Opinion of the Attorney General represents the considered views of the Attorney General on a significant legal question, generally involving Maryland law or other law that governs the actions of public officials in Maryland