The Tulane University Office of Public Safety announced in a campuswide email that the university’s day-to-day operations will proceed as usual with no anticipated changes to campus safety protocols or services in response to the upcoming deployment of federal agents to New Orleans. 

“The Tulane University Police Department remains the primary authority responsible for the safety and security of our campuses,” Kirk Bouyelas, associate vice president of the Office of Public Safety and Dean of Students Erica Woodley said in the statement.

Tulane advised that anyone contacted by a regulatory or law enforcement agency, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality and the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, should “immediately” contact the Office of the General Counsel or TUPD.

The deployment of agents to New Orleans is the latest in a series of immigration crackdowns that have targeted cities including Los Angeles, Chicago and Charlotte, North Carolina. 

To access private areas of campus like classrooms and residence halls, law enforcement — including Customs and Border Protection and ICE — requires permission from an authorized campus official or a judicial warrant or subpoena.

Federal agents can access public areas of campus without a warrant, just as any other member of the public can.

The statement said that officials from federal agencies may be on campus for reasons “unrelated to enforcement actions.” Universities with international programs are required to comply with onsite record reviews relating to international student and worker visas, the statement said.

The operation in southeast Louisiana, dubbed “Swamp Sweep” by Homeland Security officials, is expected to begin Dec. 1 and aims to arrest 5,000 people. Operations by CBP and ICE in other cities have drawn controversy for excessive use of force and aggressive tactics.

“We remain committed to ensuring Tulane is a welcoming and supportive place for everyone,” the statement said. “Thank you for staying informed and for continuing to look out for one another and for our greater New Orleans community.”