The University of Minnesota has leased out a Rosemount gun range it owns to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement since 2022, according to public federal spending data. 

The University of Minnesota Police Department has operated the gun range for over 40 years to help train UMPD officers. ICE officials, as well as other local and federal law enforcement agencies, use the area for training.

ICE’s contract has netted the University around $18,000 to lease out the gun range, a contract which ends in May. The University is the nation’s only university actively leasing its gun range to ICE, the Minnesota Reformer reported.

The University did not answer whether the contract would be renewed.

University spokesperson Amy Tolson said in a statement that the University has an existing agreement and allows agents to reserve and use space in the range. 

“There are numerous law enforcement agencies with similar use agreements for the range that include federal, state and local organizations,” Tolson said. 

When asked whether leasing out the gun range to help ICE train its officers conflicted with the University’s claims of not helping ICE, Tolson emphasized in a statement that the University does not enforce federal immigration laws. 

“Our campus departments of public safety do not inquire about an individual’s immigration status. Their focus remains on public safety, fostering trust, and maintaining strong relationships across the University community,” Tolson said. “As a public university, this space is available for rental to both law enforcement and non-law enforcement groups for training purposes.”

In January, the University said that while University officials would not hand over immigration status information to ICE, the institution would have to comply with court-backed orders when it comes to ICE requests. 

Students for a Democratic Society member and University graduate Emily Chu said she is disappointed but unsurprised by the University’s relationship with ICE. 

“It is just another symptom of Rebecca Cunningham being too afraid to push back against the consensus to protect her students. The root of all these attacks and collaboration with ICE is because Cunningham is too afraid to stand up to Trump and risk federal funding,” Chu said. “She would rather risk her international students and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion professors than stand up to Trump.” 

Eva Pena, an outreach coordinator for the immigrant advocacy group Mujeres Activas en Letras y Cambio Social chapter on campus, said if Johns Hopkins University was able to break a contract with ICE after student protests, the University should be able to do the same. 

“In my opinion, ICE shouldn’t even need guns to begin with, and it’s very disappointing to learn that the U not only allows them to use their gun ranges. Not only that, but they’re literally the only University doing that,” Pena said. “It’s honestly so gross and slimy to think that they have any collaboration with ICE at all.”