Augsburg University officials say ICE agents detained student without warrant, sparking campus concern

kstp.com · By Emily Baude · 2025-12-08T04:12:38+00:00

Augsburg University students said they’re worried about their safety after the university confirmed armed ICE agents were standing outside a residence hall over the weekend.The university confirms the men were federal immigration agents who detained a student on campus.A student shared the video with 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS. It shows a man holding a rifle near a residence hall entrance. About a minute later in the video, a second armed man walks through the same parking lot. The footage ends with at least two unmarked SUVs driving away.In an email to students and staff, the university’s provost said the incident happened around 3 p.m. Saturday in Parking Lot B.According to Augsburg, ICE agents in an unmarked car tried to detain a student who officials believe was followed and targeted before arriving on campus.The provost said campus public safety responded, and when an on-call administrator arrived, the agents told them they did not have a judicial warrant. The student was ultimately taken off campus.A university spokesperson declined an on-camera interview, but said in a statement the agents’ tactics were “unacceptable, dangerous and profoundly disturbing.”“I’m worried, don’t know if I feel safe here,” Adam Maxmed, a student, said. “I feel like my friends and everyone I know might be taken away one day, and I won’t really know where they went.”Several students told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS they’re unsure what this means for their safety moving forward.“It’s unlawful. If they have a warrant, there’s nothing we can do about it, but if they can bust in, just take whoever they want without a signed warrant signed by a judge, that’s worrisome,” Maxmed said.RELATED: ‘I feel completely violated.’ Burnsville woman says she had frightening encounter outside her building5 EYEWITNESS NEWS reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for more information on why the student was detained, and is still waiting for a response.Augsburg University’s statement is below.“The Augsburg University community was deeply shaken by an incident that took place on campus on December 6. Without producing a warrant, an armed, masked group of ICE agents targeted an undergraduate student and confronted members of our community directly outside a residence hall. They aimed weapons at witnesses that included staff and students while many more students watched from their windows. These tactics, with the implicit threat of violence, are unacceptable, dangerous, and profoundly disturbing.“As an urban university, Augsburg has long-standing, professional relationships with local law enforcement, and we are accustomed to partnering closely on public safety issues. What happened on December 6 was far outside the scope of our normal experience. Our focus in the wake of this traumatic incident is on the safety and well-being of our campus community. Now more than ever, our mission of education is critical to the healthy functioning of a free, democratic society.” For Related Stories: Augsburg University ICE ICE Arrest Brittney Ermon