More Than 30 Groups Demand MSOE Cut Ties With ICE
ICE leases downtown facility owned by Milwaukee School of Engineering.
ICE has occupied a building on the MSOE campus since 2001. Corrinne Hess/WPR
More than 30 groups representing Milwaukee School of Engineering students, faculty and staff, unions and politicians, are asking the college to stop cooperating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which uses a leased building on campus.
In an open letter to MSOE President Eric Baumgartner, the group — led by the school’s Chapter of the Young Democratic Socialists — requested transparency regarding the MSOE’s collaboration with ICE and a commitment to end future ties.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin, the Milwaukee Teachers’ Education Association, State Reps. Ryan Clancy, D-Milwaukee, and Francesca Hong, D-Madison, and several Milwaukee Common Council members signed the letter.
Hazel Dodds, president of the Young Democratic Socialists, said the large ICE presence on campus spreads fear among the students. Dodds said the fear has grown since ICE agents killed two American citizens in Minneapolis earlier this year.
“It’s disturbing to see ICE agents,” Dodds said. “It makes you feel unsafe and uneasy on campus.”
In a statement to WPR, MSOE said the university received the open letter and plans to engage with the Young Democratic Socialists regarding their concerns.
“As a university, we remain committed to promoting an academic environment grounded in respect for all members of our community, as outlined in our inclusion and belonging values,” the statement says.
The university then referred WPR to a Frequently Asked Questions page about ICE on its website for further questions. Dodds said that was the same response her organization received. That, and lack of transparency, are what prompted the letter.
MSOE purchased a building in 2023 in the center of its downtown campus for its growing student population.
But MSOE still hasn’t been able to use the building at 310 E. Knapp St. for students.
The U.S. General Services Administration has leased the building since September 1999. Since 2001, it has been used by the Department of Homeland Security’s ICE field operations.
It is the only facility in the city of Milwaukee actively used to detain people for ICE operations, according to data analyzed by the Vera Institute of Justice.
Public records from USAspending.gov show that MSOE entered into another contract with the Department of Homeland Security allowing agents at the ICE Field Office access to the university’s fitness center and athletic equipment, Dodds said.
“Lack of communication with students and the broader community continues to fuel the tension on campus,” Dodds said.
This is not the first time MSOE students, faculty and community members have raised questions about ICE on campus.
In October, protests were held outside the building. At the time, MSOE spokesperson JoEllen Burdue told WPR it’s up to the federal government when ICE moves out.
“Just like a property owner doesn’t have a choice if the government wants to buy its land to build a hospital or firehouse, a landlord doesn’t have a choice but to extend the lease if the government says it needs to remain in the space,” Burdue said.
A new ICE office on Milwaukee’s far north side was expected to be open at the end of 2025 or in early 2026.
ICE applied for an occupancy permit with the city of Milwaukee at 11925 West Lake Park Drive on Nov. 3, 2025, according to public documents. But the permit has not yet been issued, according to a city spokesperson.
More than 30 groups demand Milwaukee School of Engineering cut ties with ICE was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.
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