U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was spotted operating in Pleasantville on January 30th. ICE notified Pleasantville Police that they were searching for a particular individual with a criminal warrant. The proximity of the location of this incident to campus has raised concerns about the Pace community’s safety on and off campus.  

During a town meeting in February, Pleasantville Chief Of Police Eric Grutzner discussed the police department’s approach to the increase in ICE operations.  

When asked if the federal government has given any guidance for interacting with someone who is not here lawfully, Gruzner replied, “No. As uncertain as these times are for the public, for us, we’re still operating on the same rules as we always have which is if were authorized to detain someone to hold them for pending criminal charges then we’ll do that.” 

He continued, “If there are situations where we’re asked to hold people or to investigate anything that is outside the purview of what we have done in the past, then we are respectfully declining those requests as we always have and always will.” 

Mr. Grutzner issued the following statement to The Pace Chronicle: 

 “I appreciate you giving me the opportunity to speak about this topic, as there has been a lot of confusion about the presence of federal law enforcement operating in the Village. I can’t answer your questions related to ICE operating on campus, because Pace University actually lies in the jurisdiction of the Mount Pleasant Police Department. […] As to your other inquiries, it’s a little tricky answering about hypothetical situations. Unfortunately, my public answers on even simple questions have been misconstrued on this topic, mainly because there are so many variables for each interaction a person can have with law enforcement. The section of the law that deals with the seizure of a person by a member of law enforcement is extremely nuanced. 

Generally, I will say that the Pleasantville Police Department will not detain a person, even when requested by a federal law enforcement agency, on a civil immigration matter. We will continue to cooperate with law enforcement partners in the apprehension of persons wanted on a criminal warrant.” 

Last month, the Federal Government announced ICE is no longer prohibited from entering college campuses. This announcement raised concerned at universities nationwide, Pace University was no exception. 

Brian Anderson, the Pace Pleasantville Vice President of Safety & Emergency Management gave the following response to the Chronicle’s questions: 

“The health, safety, and welfare of our students remains our highest priority at Pace University, and we are committed to maintaining a safe and secure environment for members of our community. We consistently communicate with government and public safety jurisdictions across our three campuses, and have a set of protocols and policies in place that aim to protect the rights and privacy of our students, faculty, and staff, while accommodating lawful requests of law enforcement agencies. All members of our security team are trained in responding to a lawful request – vetted by of Office of General Counsel — with these principles in mind.” 

A Federal Administration Transition Task Force was introduced in response to the policy changes made by the newly inaugurated Trump administration. The task force’s mission is to educate and protect the pace community through significant federal policy changes.   

The task force has already begun initiatives for education and safety. The task force is split into subcommittees for different federal policy subjects; one being an Immigration and DACA subcommittee. This subcommittee is mostly made up of administration, along with some students. They have begun several initiatives for safety and education, including Know Your Rights workshops.  

During a mid-February club assembly meeting with campus leaders, Vice President of Student Affairs, Jeff Barnett spoke about the Federal Administration Transition Taskforce. Regarding the threat of ICE to campus safety; Mr. Barnett said, “If ICE shows up and any other federal employees will be stopped by security. The only time security will let them in campus is with a judicial warrant, not a subpoena.”  

In part of a statement to The Pace Chronicle, Mr Barnett said the following:

“To date, the task force has met with the below groups with scheduled times with many other University student, faculty, and staff groups: NYC and PLV SGAs, NYC RAs, NYC and Westchester Faculty Councils, NYC and Westchester Staff Council, Dyson, Seidernberg, and Haub  Faculty Councils.”

“Federal nondiscrimination law has not changed, and the university remains in compliance with the law,” said Terryl Brown, who was named Vice President and General Counsel for Pace University in 2023. Brown’s response was regarding the university’s plan to ensure ongoing compliance with federal policy changes while also protecting student rights.  

When asked about educational initiatives on students’ immigration rights, Barnabus Perry, the Office of Multicultural Affairs (ōMA) Coordinator, explained that ōMA, “Has created its own resource card to support the understanding of constitutional rights and includes tips for staying safe.  

The Resource Card was initially created within the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). Some of the information includes guidance on if an immigration agent is at the door, answering questions, signing paperwork, and guidance on being approached outside in public. The DEI Division has also created a University ICE Protocol, which is to be followed if/when ICE agents arrive at any of the university campuses.” 

The Pace Chronicle asked if ōMA had received any concerns from students regarding safety. Mr. Perry said, “The ōMA office has also inquired with students about their sense of safety overall as it related to campus climate, and it has been reported that the community feels safe. For example, in February, Mr. Perry hosted a Race & Discrimination Listening Session, along with other events, and the overall consensus was that students feel safe for the most part.”  

Mr. Perry also commented, “If there is a need for actual event programming to be held as it relates to educating students on immigration rights, especially during this unprecedented time, we would be happy to host them or collaborate with other offices, clubs, or organizations to do so.”  

The Pace Pleasantville campus is equipped with leaders and collaborators who are committed to the safety and well-being of the Pace community. For those who seek education on immigration topics, the Federal Administration Task Force and Office of Multicultural Affairs have workshops and materials available.