Questions Emerge Following Federal Law Enforcement Presence On Campus
Agents on campus on October 20, 2025. Photo by Patrick D. Lewis
By Patrick D. Lewis
Students are expressing concern after federal agents, including those from Customs and Border Protection and the FBI, were spotted on campus last month.
On Monday, October 20, officers from the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) were assembled on the sidewalk between the National Shrine and the campus lawn, not far from womens’ residence hall Gibbons Hall.
When asked what they were doing, an agent said the officers were “taking a break” and thought the campus looked like a “safe place.” All officers appeared to be using unmarked vehicles.
A spokesperson for MPD, when asked about the activity, said the agency had no record of an incident in the area at that time and referred the request to other agencies involved.
A spokesperson for CBP said, “U.S. Border Patrol personnel were not present or working in that area during the specified time and day. USBP HQ personnel are not currently part of any Task Force, and their involvement in Operation Make DC Safe and Beautiful is limited to high-visibility roles in uniform and marked units.” When shown the photo above, the spokesperson simply confirmed that a CBP agent was shown in the picture.
The State Department, which oversees the Diplomatic Security Service, did not reply to a request for comment, and the FBI declined to elaborate on the actions of its agents.
In an August 29 email to the university community from the Office of the General Counsel, the university said that MPD and federal agencies should not be able to access university buildings without being accompanied by the university Department of Public Safety and that employees and students should call DPS if agents ask for entrance. It did not address the presence of agents on other campus property.
A university spokesperson said Monday that she had no information regarding agents on campus and said Associate Vice President for Public Safety Kirk McLean “had not been informed about any actions taken in the University community by those agencies.”
The incident comes amidst the deployment of thousands of National Guardsmen and federal agents to the National Capital Region. Much of those officers’ work has focused on immigration enforcement, leaving many residents feeling unsafe.
One CUA student, who is of Hispanic heritage and whose name The Tower is withholding for privacy, recently had an encounter with a federal agent in Landover, MD, near a Walmart.
“What happened was I was walking out of a store in Landover, MD, and speaking in Spanish on the phone,” said the student. “I was not talking loudly, having a normal conversation about what to pick up from the store. I was approached by an agent who seemed to just want to talk at first. He was in the parking lot just relaxing, standing near his unmarked patrol car… he was wearing a mask and full gear. Yet, there were no identifying factors that said I.C.E. or anything along those lines on his vest. He approached me, asking if I spoke English. At first, I did not reply, yet after he had asked ‘You speak English?’ for the third time, I replied ‘of course.’ His tone was not aggressive, but assertive and stern. The officer tried following up with some questions or statements, yet he was both too far away, and I was a bit anxious, so I did not catch all he said. Luckily, he did not come any closer or try to follow me to the car. Yet, he just stood near the vehicle. At this point, I was going to be late for my event. Before the officer could speak, I replied, ‘I am in a bit of a rush, sir, have a good night.’ He did not hesitate or follow me, but I was anxious he would follow me home, so I drove in the opposite direction for maybe ten minutes to make sure the vehicle did not follow behind.”
The student added that they now carry a U.S. Passport at all times and said, “This is not the first time I have seen or encountered I.C.E. in Landover, MD, or in Maryland in general. Sometimes you can see them parked in empty lots, patrolling neighborhoods, or even standing in front of government buildings. The environment in the DMV has shifted completely. People are afraid to leave their houses, enjoy a nice walk, or even go to church due to fear of being accosted by agents. I know students here at CUA who are scared to drive home, and will take longer routes, just so the police do not go to their homes, and find where their relatives live.”
