Dear Colleagues,
I am writing to share an important update with you regarding an incident that was reported this morning, Monday, October 5.
At approximately 11:15 a.m., we received reports from a witness at our Highland Campus who observed an individual being detained. I immediately went out and met with this witness to learn more. ACC District Police Officers and the Victim’s Services team are also talking with the witness and reviewing video surveillance footage so that we can learn more about what happened and where it happened.
I promised you transparency in these moments, so I want you to be fully aware of the situation. The initial footage and witness remarks revealed the following:
- A black Pathfinder was pursuing a vehicle down Airport Blvd and pulled into an ACC parking lot.
- At that time, several masked men exited the vehicle and detained an individual.
- We don’t know who the masked individuals were, but the witness reports that they appeared to be federal immigration officers.
- We do not know if the person who was detained had any affiliation with the College.
We are still investigating the situation, but it’s important to know that at this time, it appears there is no ongoing threat to our campus community.
Here are things you can do if federal immigration officers come to your classroom, office, or another area of campus or if you witness someone being detained near our campus:
- Remain calm and stay where you are.
- Do not try to manage the situation yourself.
- Politely ask the officer to wait.
- Immediately call the Chancellor’s Office at 512-223-7598. (I encourage you to save this number in your phone now.)
- ACC Police and College leadership will respond and work with federal officers as required by law.
- If an officer presents a subpoena, warrant, or other legal document, please direct them to the Chancellor’s Office.
- Continue doing your work as usual.
- ACC Police will join the immigration officers and notify you of the next steps if needed.
Our responsibility is to follow the law while also protecting the rights, privacy, and dignity of our students and employees. Those responsibilities can and must exist together. Thank you for looking out for one another and for continuing to care for our students and our community.
Much love,
russell
Russell Lowery-Hart, Ph.D.
Chancellor
Austin Community College District