University of Minnesota shooting range ends contract with ICE and closes to outside law enforcement

The University of Minnesota will terminate its contract with U. S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for its firearms range in Rosemount, effective December 1. This decision follows a $18,867 contract that ended in May and is part of the university's ongoing commitment to safety and financial stewardship. While local law enforcement agencies had previously used the range, they will no longer be able to make reservations after December.

The termination of the contract aligns with protests from the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), which argued that the decision reflects increasing public pressure against the university's ties to federal agencies. The university police will still have access to the range, but student activists continue to push for its complete closure. These protests were fueled by concerns over the university's land sales to companies working with the Department of Defense. The SDS emphasized that stopping ICE's use of the range is only part of their demands, calling for transparent remediation of the surrounding UMore Park area. The university has stated that while it will comply with court-backed ICE orders, it will not enforce ICE operations locally.