Higher‑education institutions are confronting a surge of legal and on‑campus fallout after federal immigration enforcement expanded its operations. Two Minnesota school districts and university faculty groups sued the Department of Homeland Security seeking to block ICE activity on or near campuses; plaintiffs say enforcement has chilled attendance and disrupted operations. At Columbia University, 12 professors and students were arrested during an anti‑ICE protest calling for greater protections for international students, intensifying campus debate over safety, free expression and institutional responses to federal tactics. Universities are now weighing operational responses, legal exposure and student‑support measures as enforcement activity affects attendance and campus climate.