It’s a nightmare situation: A swarm of masked US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents walk through your library’s doors looking for people or demanding information that you’re not prepared to hand over.
As ICE has raided homes, businesses, and public facilities in communities across the country, public libraries are grappling with how to prepare staff, protect patrons, respond to incidents, and develop resources for in-the-moment de-escalation and long-term recovery.
In February, the Public Library Association (PLA) convened a webinar called “Responding to ICE at the Library: Real World Approaches” to address these timely concerns. Speakers included Scott Duimstra, director of Hennepin County (Minn.) Library; Kimberly B. Knight, director of Virginia Beach (Va.) Public Library; and Jocelyne Sansing, director of Middleton (Wis.) Public Library. They will also present this session at the PLA 2026 Conference in Minneapolis on April 3, at 11:45 a.m. Comments below are paraphrased from their presentation.
Preparatory conversations
Knight: We have a quarterly all-staff event called “Let’s Talk” where people can send us anonymous questions, and someone asked, “What is the library’s policy regarding ICE agents working inside the building and potentially investigating patrons and staff?”
They asked that question a year ago, before all of this hit the news. At the time, we were like, well, what are the chances of that? But I think we’re all here today because it has come to fruition.
When they asked again last fall, we brought in a local police officer who spent an hour answering staff questions. I commend our staff for having the forethought to ask these questions and help us think about it so that we can be prepared for the moment.
Sansing: I’m not an expert in this area, but I have had experience working with law enforcement. What makes it different now and at this moment in history is the real disregard for due process, and what was once a procedure with rules could easily now escalate into a possible emergency. This is immediately confusing and very scary.
Approaching it thoughtfully and proactively has really helped us dismantle some of that fear by practicing what we would actually say and do in a given situation.
Duimstra: This is an area where I wish I were not a subject matter expert. But as I tell my children, you don’t get to choose what events happen to you, you only get to choose how you respond. We had early staff discussions in 2025, and our response at the time was simple: You don’t interfere and you don’t assist. That guidance became more detailed as we responded to activity around our libraries.
The first incident was at the building that houses Ridgedale Library on its second floor, as well as the county court system on the third, on December 29. We got a call early in the day that there were two plainclothes ICE officers waiting outside the courts to apprehend individuals as they were being released from court. When they were released that afternoon, more than a dozen agents came rushing into the space and brought them down the stairs while community members filmed.
On January 7, Renee Good was shot and killed by ICE agents while she was in her car. That happened blocks away from our Hosmer Library and heavily affected our library staff and community there. Later that same day, ICE agents showed up at Roosevelt High School as it was letting out. Many students fled across the street to our Roosevelt Library. It became their sanctuary in that situation.
We’ve also had numerous incidents of parking lot activity—ICE agents getting ready for a mission or maybe just waiting there as an intimidation tactic. Imagine showing up for work and the first thing you see is a federal agent parked in your lot. You are not going to feel safe coming into work that day.
These are things we had never had to consider before. None of our past experiences fit the situation we were in.
Practical preparations
Knight: We started by considering our acceptable behavior policy. We asked our law enforcement partners if they would give us some guidance, and they told us to treat it like any other law enforcement matter, where we would ensure the safety of ourselves and our customers, we would behave professionally and legally, and that we would help to restore order after the situation happened.
Sansing: The first thing we did was designate the person who’s authorized to handle these things. This is obviously the library director. But what happens if the library director is on vacation? Is this information and contact information easily accessible?
In our spaces, we asked: Do we have signage posted in our public versus nonpublic areas? Where are there doors that we might be able to lock or close? Maybe we could have a colleague do a walk-through with fresh eyes and help us point out areas where things may be unclear.
These are easy, tangible things that are within our control, that we can do.
Duimstra: The situation in our communities is changing rapidly from day to day, sometimes from hour to hour. We’ve been living in a world of misinformation, changing response times, and constant questions about how to ensure not just public safety but staff safety.
The library’s original guidance was not to film or record, because any recording could essentially be part of a Freedom of Information Request, but that changed, especially as we had staff who were targeted by ICE for potential arrest.
Our last guidance was to refer matters to our security staff, and then to local law enforcement. That relationship with local law enforcement is key. I’d start building it right now, because you’re going to rely on them if ICE becomes active in your community.
The situation in our communities is changing rapidly from day to day, sometimes from hour to hour. We’ve been living in a world of misinformation, changing response times, and constant questions about how to ensure not just public safety but staff safety.—Scott Duimstra, director of Hennepin County (Minn.) Library
Training and policies
Sansing: Public libraries are public spaces, and law enforcement, including ICE, may enter into those areas.
They might ask for records that would require some sort of court order or warrant. It’s important in those situations that we don’t accidentally give information or hurry to help, which we’re so used to doing. As library workers we’re very well trained to answer questions and want to do it immediately. But in a high-stakes situation, it’s important to stay calm and take it slow rather than respond immediately, and utilize the chain of command and practice scenarios.
Practice the words, things like “I’m not authorized to answer questions or provide access to patron records. Please speak directly with the library director.” Repeat these things over and over again. It may feel awkward, but you are absolutely within your rights to repeat yourself and stick to the library process and policy.
Duimstra: Our guidance was: Do not attempt to argue, physically block, or interfere with a federal agent. If you do, it is a federal crime, and your staff need to understand how serious that is. We have tried our best to communicate that, while reminding staff to remain calm and keep themselves safe.
We developed a reporting form where staff could report ICE or federal agents’ behavior to the county in case we needed to file a criminal complaint afterward. It’s simple to fill out, and anyone can use it, not just a manager or supervisor. It simply records what happened, and then the county attorney can decide whether to follow through with a complaint. If you don’t document it, it is very hard to follow up.
Lasting impacts
Duimstra: The operation in Minneapolis has shifted and there are fewer ICE officers here now. But even when they leave, the trauma remains, along with the economic and educational effects.
There has been a significant impact on the library as a gathering space. We had a tutoring program at a location that primarily serves Somali American families, which went from full attendance to no students showing up almost overnight. You understand why parents made that choice, but it still has a definite impact on students and our spaces.
Sansing: While we have not had an incident here in Middleton, we have had groups like our ESL (English as a second language) classes bow out of hosting them at the library because adult learners are limiting the number of places that they go outside of the home. When I shared this with my library and Friends boards, they were devastated.
But it was important to remind them that they will be back. It won’t always be like this, and we will be stronger because we’ve gone through this. We are never alone in libraries; we can lean into our relationships and resources and get prepared, keep it fresh for each other, and then set it down until it comes to our doorstep.
