MILWAUKEE — The Milwaukee School of Engineering purchased a building in 2023 that still houses a U.S. Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement field operations office, sparking ongoing student protests and calls for transparency.
Conor Mika, a sophomore at MSOE, is among many students concerned about the university's agreement with the federal government.
"It's really disheartening to see," Mika said.
The student expressed frustration about the building's current use instead of its intended academic purpose.
Watch: MSOE students protest school's continued housing of ICE operations
"I would like to see it used for its original purpose, being a civil and architectural engineering building," Mika said.
For months, students and community members have gathered on Friday mornings to protest the facility's use for ICE operations. Students are calling for more clarity about why MSOE continues to renew the lease with the federal agency.
"We've had two meetings with the administration at the school. The first they gave us the impression that they didn't own this building, they didn't know what was happening in it. And the second one, they have now switched to saying they couldn't kick ICE out, but they couldn't give us any concrete reasons as to why they have to keep ICE in this building and why they have to keep extending the lease," Mika said.
In a statement, an MSOE spokesperson explained that when the college purchased the building in 2023, the property included a federal lease that had been in place since 1999.
ICE intended to vacate the space within months and move into a new facility on the city's northwest side; however, two years later, the current lease runs through at least April of next year.
The university's statement says, "We understand that some members of our community hope the space would already be available for university use. That remains our long-term goal. In the meantime, MSOE is fulfilling its legal responsibilities as a landlord to the federal government."
Students like Mika say the situation isn't sitting right with them.
"We want them to hear that we, as students, don't approve of this happening. We have friends and family in the community that are scared of having to face self deportations, or being forced to be deported by Immigration and Customs Enforcement," Mika said.
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