Students protest ongoing ICE operations on Milwaukee campus

Two years ago, Milwaukee School of Engineering purchased a building on its downtown campus for its growing student population.

But the property at 310 E. Knapp St. has still not been used for students.

The U.S. General Services Administration has leased the building since September 1999. Since 2001, it has been used by the Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement field operations.

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That lease was supposed to expire in April.

But it has been extended indefinitely, leaving some students frustrated and demanding more transparency.

School administrators are “saying they have no control over the building and no ability to end the lease,” said sophomore Conor Mika. “But they haven’t put forth any actual legal reason why.”

For months, students and community members have protested outside of the building every Friday morning.

A group of people protest on a street corner holding signs with messages about immigration, such as “Abolish ICE” and “Stop Crucifying Migrants & Refugees.”. — Protesters gather every Friday outside of 310 E. Knapp St. where the Milwaukee offices for ICE are located. *Photo courtesy of Conor Mika*

MSOE spokesperson JoEllen Burdue said it’s up to the federal government when ICE moves out.

“Federal law allows the government to continue occupancy in the premises past the current lease term,” according to a statement from the school. “This means MSOE does not have the unilateral right to end the lease at the end of the term. The federal government can exercise eminent domain and extend the term of the lease.

“Just like a property owner doesn’t have a choice if the government wants to buy its land to build a hospital or firehouse, a landlord doesn’t have a choice but to extend the lease if the government says it needs to remain in the space.”

ICE field office serves as a check-in location

The MSOE property is used by ICE as a field office for its Enforcement and Removal Operations, according to ICE.

The Knapp Street location does not hold people overnight. Normally, Wisconsin ICE detainees are held at the Dodge County Detention Center.

The Vera Institute of Justice, a national nonpartisan group that tracks ICE detainees, found in June 2025 there were an average of 89 detainees a day in Dodge County.

That same analysis found the Knapp Street location had an average of six ICE detainees.

Meanwhile, a new ICE office on Milwaukee’s far North Side will be open this year.

Plans to move ICE facility in Milwaukee have angered some activists, officials

Burdue said the school understands some members of the community hoped the building would be available for university use, and that remains the long-term goal.

But MSOE is fulfilling its legal responsibility to the federal government, Burdue said.

Still, Mika said after seeing ICE crackdowns in Chicago, students are afraid of what could happen in Milwaukee.

“We have a lot of international students on campus who are scared to even show up to the protests,” Mika said. “They’re scared to show up to meetings on campus.”