On Jan.8 during the ECC Employee Convocation, President Peggy Heinrich promised that in the coming weeks signage denoting public and private spaces would be installed. She also said that nameplates would be “updated to note access is limited to students, faculty, and staff.”

Twelve weeks have passed, and no such signage can be found anywhere on campus that is student-facing. 

Heinrich mentioned that the signage update was in response to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detaining an ECC student on campus Sept.18, 2025.

Last fall, Elgin and surrounding areas witnessed a surge in residents being detained by ICE agents in Operation Midway Blitz, an effort from the Department of Homeland Security that targeted Illinois because of its sanctuary policies.

City governments, businesses, and educational institutions have responded to the increased ICE  presence in various ways. One way has been to place new signage indicating that ICE is not permitted.

Last year, the Elgin City Council held a meeting to consider  “ICE-Free” zones and later approved a resolution in November 2025 that prohibits ICE from utilizing city property to enforce immigration laws, making arrests, or using them as staging areas, according to the city of Elgin’s home page.

“There has been a series of things at the city council level that we have been doing,” said Elgin City Councilwoman Tish Powell. “One thing I and Councilman Stephan brought forward, we passed a resolution banning ICE from using properties for staging areas, we passed a resolution urging federal lawmakers to prevent ICE agents from wearing face masks and using excessive force.”

Last November, Gail Borden Public Library Board of Trustees adopted  Resolution 2025-11-A: Prohibiting the use of library property for Federal Civil Immigration Enforcement Activities.

“We are trying to follow the law at our local levels, when our federal government is not following the law and disregarding constitutional rights.Powell said “my heart goes out to all the people who have been killed, hurt, kidnapped, and taken away from their families in our own communities and communities across the country.”

Powell said that listening to the community in efforts to support those affected is, and should remain the focus. ECC students believe that ECC should  serve as a sanctuary.

Multiple local businesses have posted signs in their windows that read: “No ICE allowed” or “ICE FREE ZONE” or “ICE is not welcomed here.”

NorthEastern Illinois University (NEIU) in Chicago has signs that are placed around campus that are designed to prevent ICE from using public and private property for detainment or staging. On the school’s  webpage they explain their institution’s efforts to protect their students, as well as instructing them on what to do if ICE is spotted.

According to an NEIU statement, its institution is a Hispanic Serving Institute (HSI), with its LatinX student enrollment at 57% that is “committed to expanding access, advancing opportunity, and delivering strong outcomes that prepare graduates for meaningful careers and lifelong success.” 

Also an HSI, ECC currently serves 5,110 LatinX students. This is a 13 % decline since the 2025 spring semester with 5,889 LatinX students previously enrolled.

“ECC’s designation as a Hispanic Serving Institution isn’t just a demographic milestone, it’s a responsibility that shapes how we serve, partner, and ensure opportunity and success for all our students” said President Heinrich.”

Prior to Spring Break, some ECC employees have received emails asking them to update the information on their office nameplate as a part of the Access Signage initiative.

ECC’s faculty members have already taken initiative to support students prior to ECC’s email, by displaying signs on their doors barring the entrance of ICE.

In October, a month after the September incident, Psychology Professor, Manuel Salgado, emailed signage in support of undocumented and immigrant communities. The signage was volunteered and sent on behalf of the Undocumented Student Support Committee, We Rise student club, and the Committee on Political Education (COPE; the ECCFA union’s voluntary political action group.)

The sign reads “We Support Undocu-Communities” with a light blue  monarch butterfly in the middle. Monarch butterflies symbolize migrant justice and resilience according to Wagingnonviolence.org.

“Hispanic and LatinX student enrollment is down twelve percent after it has been continuously growing since Covid, and it peaked” said Heinrich. “For two semesters now, it has been in decline since immigration issues in our community have impacted our students.”

According to Heinrich’s shared powerpoint,  ECC is aware of the recently passed House Bill 1312 an amendment POW MIA Recognition Day, passed on Dec. 9, 2025. Its key provisions are updating signage that clearly distinguishes “safe zones” where ICE arrest or staging can not occur, and protects those who report violations of rights as well as the ability to sue them.

“We will be rolling out more labeling of spaces on campus, so private versus public in the next coming weeks” said Heinrich during the opening convocation.

Chicagoland is expected to see a return of increased ICE presence this spring, according to leaders of immigrant and refugee organizations. However, it remains unclear whether ECC will have its promised signage before the semester ends in May.