Ohio University said it is not aware of any Immigration and Customs Enforcement presence on the Athens campus after reported sightings circulated on social media Tuesday.
In a statement on its International Student and Scholar Services website, the university said images posted online that show ICE officers in campus locations “appear to have been AI-generated.”
“Ohio University is aware of the rumors that have been circulating as a result of recent social media posts, and we are not aware of any ICE activity on campus,” Dan Pittman, a university spokesperson, wrote in an email.
Housing and Residence Life also addressed the situation in an email Wednesday, noting the housing team was aware of the rumors circulating across campus and within residential and culinary locations.
ICE did not respond to The Post for a request to comment.
The Migration Policy Institute reports the number of unauthorized immigrants and other non-citizens detained by ICE has reached a historic high under the Trump administration.
ICE’s detention population has increased from 39,000 in January 2025 to 61,000 by late August and is expected to rise to 107,000 by January 2026. According to Axios Columbus, ICE arrested 328 people in Ohio between January 2025 and June 2025.
The university’s published guidance on immigration enforcement states immigration officers may enter public areas of campus without a warrant but cannot enter limited-access spaces, including residence halls, classrooms, labs and offices, unless they present a criminal judicial warrant signed by a judge. Administrative warrants do not authorize entry to those areas without consent.
The guidance also states that student records are protected under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, meaning officers cannot access non-directory information, including class schedules, birthdates or Social Security numbers, without a student’s consent or a qualifying legal exception. Any requests involving F-1 or J-1 students must go through International Student and Scholar Services, which maintains immigration data in the SEVIS system.
If any enforcement officer appears in a dorm, office or classroom, OU advises students and faculty to immediately contact the OU Police Department at 740-593-1911 and the Office of Legal Affairs at 740-597-1774. The university cautions community members not to physically interfere with enforcement activity or place themselves at risk.
Additional immigration updates, resources and enforcement guidance are available on the International Student and Scholar Services Immigration Information page.
