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All five affected Rice students and recent graduates have had their visas reinstated. Rice continues to monitor the situation and remains deeply committed to supporting our international community. We continue to provide lawful assistance to those navigating visa-related challenges.
February 26, 2026
Dear Rice community,
We are aware of news reports that today federal agents from the Department of Homeland Security entered a Columbia University residential building and detained a student. According to those reports, the agents did not have a judicial warrant but were allowed in by a building superintendent.
Although these events did not occur in Houston or Texas, we’d like to reiterate some basic Rice policies and procedures for you.
Rice is a private university, so all Rice property is private, not public, unless Rice intentionally opens it to others; in that way, Rice is very different from public colleges and universities. This also means that outside law enforcement agents must always have a judicial warrant to access non-public areas of our campus. Those areas include our residential colleges, Rice-owned graduate apartments, classrooms, faculty and staff offices, locker rooms, and other buildings and spaces that are locked and/or that require ID card access. Without a judicial warrant, outside law enforcement cannot lawfully enter a non-public Rice building or space; an “administrative warrant,” which is not signed by a judge, does not allow an outside law enforcement officer to enter these areas.
If you ever see an outside law enforcement officer ask or attempt to enter a non-public area of the university, ask the officer to wait, then immediately contact the Rice University Police Department at 713-348-6000. RUPD will contact our legal office, the Office of General Counsel, to coordinate the university’s response.
Rice’s main priority is the safety and success of our students, faculty and community. If you would like additional details about immigration enforcement, please refer to this FAQ. Also, always feel free to visit the Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS), which supports all Rice internationals and academic departments on immigration matters.
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