UW-Madison recently released their Spring 2026 Guidance on Federal Immigration Actions. In accordance with that, the UW-Madison Police Department also shared their UWPD Immigration Enforcement Practices:

“The UW–Madison Police Department (UWPD) is committed to providing exceptional service to all members of our community, regardless of immigration status.

UW–Madison will not disclose the immigration status of its students, faculty, or staff unless required by law.

UWPD will not participate in immigration enforcement actions conducted by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Our resources are limited – as such, enforcement is not part of UWPD’s mission.

ICE officers must use appropriate legal processes when on campus and wish to contact individual students about enforcement-related issues. For example, they generally cannot enter an on-campus private residence without a proper warrant.

UWPD officers shall not detain or arrest an individual solely based on a suspected violation of immigration law and should not routinely inquire about an individual’s immigration status.

An individual’s immigration status is irrelevant to our mission and will only be relevant if the individual is involved in serious crimes.

An individual’s immigration status does not affect their ability to file a police report with UWPD.”

On December 30, 2025, the Madison Police Department released their Enforcement of Immigration Laws protocol.

For more information about immigration actions that impact the UW-Madison community, contact the Office of Legal Affairs.

Jeff Kirchman

University Apartments Community Police Officer

608-264-2677 | jkirchman@wisc.edu

University Apartments Community Center, Room 131