The University of California, San Diego is ending its partnership with a federal program that saw school police work with the US Border Patrol after students erupted in protest over the relationship.
The university no longer participates in the Department of Homeland Security’s Operation Stonegarden grant program, which helps California law enforcement agencies work with US Customs and Border Protection on securing the border.
Much of the program has been aimed at targeting drug and human trafficking, not immigration enforcement, according to an internal email from the school’s chancellor reviewed by CalMatters.
Campus police at UC San Diego had been receiving funds from the grant since 2012.
In February, CalMatters reported how school police used the grant to patrol sections of the coastline near campus. Students opposing President Trump’s immigration agenda grew angry, claiming the program puts students who were illegal immigrants and other international students at risk.
“We are concerned that these kinds of grants are hurting the community; they’re hurting community trust in the police on this campus,” Students’ Civil Liberties Union president Aryan Dixit said at a February rally.
Students reportedly emailed administrators and threatened to hold large gatherings. In late February, the campus police chief agreed to leave the grant program in a private meeting with Dixit.
Internal emails obtained by CalMatters confirm UC San Diego intended to cease using the grant and has no plans to reapply in the future. The San Diego County Sheriff’s Office also confirmed the school won’t be involved.
Regardless, there is already a decade-old UC policy barring campus police from working with Immigration and Customs Enforcement or detaining people based on suspected immigration status.
“I want to reiterate that UC San Diego is deeply committed to cultivating and maintaining a campus environment that is safe and welcoming for all members of our community, regardless of immigration status,” chancellor Niraj Dangoria wrote in an internal email.
Operation Stonegarden still has partnerships with numerous other California law enforcement agencies, such as in Riverside County, San Diego County, Los Angeles County and more.
In 2024, it funded more than $12 million to California, with $7.5 million going toward San Diego County, which borders Mexico.
