University Shuts Down Classes Over ICE Office
Lewis University pulled the plug on in-person classes at its Oak Brook satellite campus after administrators learned ICE would be renting space in the same building. The landlord confirmed the agency’s presence. The school said it feared protests and disruption.
That’s a dramatic move. It’s also predictable. Colleges now reflexively choose optics over education. They pick safety theater and social media peace-of-mind instead of letting classes go on.
The College Fix reported: “Lewis University moves classes online because ICE rents space nearby”
And the university itself put out a statement. It said: “Lewis University was recently alerted that the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) is leasing office space within the building where we operate our Oak Brook location at 1111 W. 22nd Street, Oak Brook, Illinois, and that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is utilizing space for its administrative offices. Lewis is one of several tenants in the property and does not have control over leasing decisions involving other occupants.”
The school added it “remains committed to fostering a respectful, supportive, and inclusive environment for all members of our community.”
Those are fine words. But words don’t educate students. Classes do. If protests were the worry, the school could have beefed up security, moved a handful of sessions, or held classes in a nearby building. Instead, it canceled everything. That’s overreach.
ICE has been around for decades. It’s worked under multiple administrations. It’s a federal agency doing administrative work. If the presence of federal agents shuts down a campus, higher education has bigger problems than one office lease.
This isn’t just about one university. It’s a symptom. Colleges are rewarding fear. They’re rewarding loud online pressure. They’re treating normal civic institutions as too toxic to share space with. That’s a recipe for weaker schools and infantilized students.
If universities want credibility, they should defend routine operations. Protect campuses from real threats. Resist panic and virtue signaling. Let students learn in person unless there’s an actual, specific danger—not just the possibility of a protest.
Higher education needs to refocus. Stop canceling classes because of headlines. Start doing the hard work of teaching again.