St. Olaf College administration opted not to implement a campus-wide soft lockdown, even as neighboring Carleton has remained under soft lockdown since Jan. 24 following reported immigration enforcement activity near its campus.
A soft lockdown is a precautionary security measure used when a potential threat exists in the surrounding area. Under the protocol, exterior doors are locked to restrict access — in this case to potential Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents — while normal campus activities and classes continue.
Student Government Association (SGA) President Fiona Mundy ’26 and Vice President Karen Henriquez Fajardo ’26 had pushed for the implementation of a soft lockdown, circulating a petition and raising concerns in a meeting with the Presidential Leadership Team (PLT) on Feb. 13.
According to Henriquez Fajardo, responses to the petition cited concerns for general student and campus safety, a greater sense of security for BIPOC and international students, protection against unidentified agents, and the general need for additional safeguards.
While St. Olaf has yet to have a confirmed federal agent sighting on campus grounds, agents have been present in downtown Northfield and on Carleton’s campus in January and February, prompting student concerns about safety.
“Carleton is doing it right now since ICE was seen on their campus,” Mundy said in an interview with The Olaf Messenger. “Our schools are so close … why shouldn’t we be doing the same exact thing?”
Mundy explained that in previous conversations with PLT, she had been told that a soft lockdown came with complications, such as building access limitations and concerns about shifting from St. Olaf’s traditionally open-campus environment.
Some campus doors, such as those to Boe Chapel, require physical keys to be locked rather than electronic controls, further complicating a soft lockdown.
Still, Mundy said students continue to seek additional security measures even after Border Czar Tom Homan announced Feb. 12 that the immigration enforcement surge in Minnesota would be winding down.
“A lot of students are so scared,” Mundy said. “A lot of students are not leaving on the weekends. They’re not going into town even.”
Public Safety Director Jeff Favreau confirmed the college’s decision not to implement a soft lockdown, but said emergency procedures are in place if conditions change.
“The PLT has decided not to do that (a soft lockdown) at this time, but we have protocols in place that we can very quickly go to should we need to,” Favreau said in an interview with The Olaf Messenger.
In a Feb. 19 email sent to students, Favreau said St. Olaf will maintain its current building access practices, with academic buildings open during business hours and key-card access after hours. Residence halls remain locked at all times.
The email also outlined response steps if federal immigration agents arrive on campus. An Ole Alert would direct community members to remain in place while buildings are secured and administrators assess the situation.
Favreau also shared that the College is preparing an in-person Know Your Rights training session for members of the campus community with concerns.
