GUIDANCE FOR INTERACTING WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT AND OTHER AGENTS*
Updated: 1/26/2026
We will comply with all applicable law and are committed to cooperating with law enforcement within the constraints of the law and our own delegated responsibilities. Agents may be federal or state officers, federal or state auditors, or other similarly situated individuals.
If any Government Agent Comes to Your Workplace:
· Be respectful.
· If the agent approaches a student worker first, the student should immediately get their supervisor and/or their human resource (HR) representative.
· Take enough time to think through and formulate your answers.
· Ask the agent for their name and to see their government issued badge. Most likely the agent will show you their badge without you asking. If not, it is your right to ask for this.
· Ask the agent why they are on campus if they have not shared that information already.
· Ask the agent to have a seat in a waiting room or lobby. If you do not have such a space, politely ask them to wait where they are while you try to reach the proper contact.
· Calmly request that the officer wait while you follow the following procedures:
– Call campus police to alert them of another law enforcement entity on campus.
– Notify your supervisor if not already notified.
– Call the Office of General Counsel (OGC) at 608-262-2995 and speak with one of the attorneys. Tell the attorney the following information: “Agent X from the Department of Y is here to talk to you about Z.”
– Do not leave a message with UW Legal.
· If no one from campus police or UW Legal is available:
– Tell the agent that no one is available right now and ask them to contact OGC directly at a later time.
– Ask the agent if they can come back another time.
– Do not give the agent access to any paper files or access to any computer systems.
– Do not give your consent to enter a non-public area.
– If the agent seeks to enter non-public areas, if asked, inform the officer that you do not have the authority to consent to entry or searches of non-public areas.
Agents are free to enter any public areas of your workplace but must have a valid search warrant to enter a non-public area.
· Public areas may include reception, waiting areas and lobbies; open dining areas such as cafeterias; restrooms; and other common areas accessible by members of the public without screening or escort.
· Non-public areas may include private offices and laboratories; private residential rooms; classrooms and lecture halls that are currently in use; and other secured or restricted-access areas designated for instructional or research use.
· A valid warrant must be signed and dated by a judge. It will include a period within which the search must be conducted, a description of the premises to be searched, and a list of items to be searched for and seized (e.g., payroll records, employee identification documents, I-9 forms, SSA correspondence, etc.).
If agents disregard your instructions or requests, do not interfere with their actions. If agents act—with or without awaiting guidance from you or others at the campus and regardless of whether they have presented a warrant—it is important that you do not intervene or block their movement, as obstructing or otherwise interfering with law enforcement activity can be a crime.
* UW-Madison and UW-Milwaukee staff should consult their local guidance for specific contact information.