A U.S. Customs and Border Protection vehicle was seen near 5250 N. Alafaya Trail on Tuesday around 12:25 p.m., according to an anonymous report on ICEOut.org.
Liliana Segovia
A U.S. Customs and Border Protection vehicle was observed at 5250 N. Alafaya Trail around 12:25 p.m. Tuesday, prompting concern among members of the surrounding community.
The sighting was reported anonymously on ICEOut.org, a community-driven platform that documents immigration enforcement activity. The website allows users to submit photos, locations, the number of officers and vehicles involved and descriptions of observed activity.
The report categorized the incident as “observed,” noting that the vehicle was seen driving in the area, but the user did not see it engaging in enforcement actions. However, for some community members like Grisha Glozman, junior studio art major, the presence of border patrol extends beyond the immediate activity.
“This isn’t an isolated incident, ICE has been spotted all over Orlando, specifically in Black and brown, and particularly immigrant, neighborhoods,” Glozman said in an email. “These ICE operations are about nothing but terrorizing immigrant communities, scaring them so they’re easier to exploit and instigating justified retaliation by communities as a means of justifying further militarization of the police.”
Data from ICEOut.org appears to indicate an increase in reporting in the area over recent days. According to the platform, 39 immigration-related activities were reported across the Orlando area on Jan. 11.
Glozman also linked the presence of federal immigration authorities near campus to the 287(g) agreement, which allows state and local law enforcement agencies to collaborate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on certain immigration functions, including the UCF police department.
Members of the UCF community demonstrated their disagreement with the university’s decision to join the 287(g) agreement by protesting on campus on Jan. 16.
Amanda Seller, communications manager for UCF public safety, said in a written statement that while the university’s police department would comply with ICE, it has not yet participated in any immigration enforcement activities.
“As a public institution that receives state and federal funding, the University of Central Florida is required to comply with all applicable state and federal laws,” Sellers said. “To date, UCFPD has not been involved in any detentions or enforcement activity related to this agreement.”