On Tuesday morning, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested a man on Union Street in Brunswick. Associate Vice President of Safety and Security Bill Harwood notified students via email of the arrest later that afternoon. The presence of ICE agents in Brunswick spread fear and concern among members of the Bowdoin community, especially international students and non-U.S. citizens.

We recognize that students may have lingering worries about ICE’s increased presence in Maine as well as in their home communities. We also acknowledge that many students may not know what rights they have on the College’s campus.

Bowdoin Security officers have been trained to respond to federal law enforcement and will immediately notify college officials who are authorized to accept warrants, subpoenas or other legal documents. Law enforcement officers must have a valid judicial warrant to enter nonpublic areas on campus, including any space where OneCard access is required.

There are two types of immigration warrants: an administrative warrant and a judicial warrant. Different bodies issue these warrants, and each warrant grants officials different permissions and powers for search and seizure. It is within your rights to ask what type of warrant an officer carries.

According to a recent report by the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration (PAHEI) targeted at immigration enforcement on college campuses, “Federal immigration enforcement officers can enter public areas without a warrant, just like any member of the public. However, officers cannot access nonpublic areas of campus without permission from an authorized campus official.”

Executive agencies, such as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), issue administrative warrants. According to the PAHEI report, “Administrative warrants are not signed by a judge and do not authorize officers to enter nonpublic areas without proper consent of the institution.”

A judicial warrant is issued by a judge and signed in court, and it must cite the specific address and timeframe in which ICE agents can arrest a person of interest. Judicial warrants allow immigration officers to enter private spaces without the permission of the institution or the explicit consent of an authorized campus official. In the case of a judicial warrant, the College cannot prevent an ICE agent from coming to campus and arresting someone within a private building.

However, according to the PAHEI report, “Frequently, ICE officers who come to campus are acting on civil, not criminal, authority, and typically carry administrative warrants.” This means that the administrative warrants that ICE officers would likely carry onto campus would require the College’s consent for search and seizure.

While we have provided a brief overview of information we consider most relevant to Bowdoin students, we encourage the campus community to seek out additional resources with more detailed information. It is our collective responsibility to learn how to keep our community members safe. The burden of acquiring this knowledge should not fall only on the shoulders of those who are most vulnerable on campus.

This editorial represents the majority opinion of the Editorial Board, which is composed of Ava Arepally, Julia Dickinson, Kaya Patel, Sara Schubert, Catalina Escobedo and Caitlin Panicker.