After a protest against actions from the Trump Administration at the State Capitol in St. Paul Wednesday, there were more protests Thursday. This latest protest took place at Coffman Union on the University of Minnesota campus to oppose the Administration's crackdown on immigration.
Students for a Democratic Society wants the University of Minnesota to be a sanctuary campus.
"We want to show that with whatever what comes in the future, we have a strong student body here who really wants to support and care about each other, and we're going to fight for each other no matter immigration status," says organizer Juliet Murphy.
The students tell WCCO's Ari Bergeron they are angry that the university said they would comply with ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) on crackdowns.
"I was not expecting the university to outright take such a reactionary approach to things, considering that other universities have tried to mediate how much they're willing to protect their students," said Murphy. "So I'm very upset about that."
Their goal is to let the school know they won't be docile or silent about the Univeristy's approach and they are urging the school's administration to designate the campus as a sanctuary campus.
"I have friends who are international students who are concerned about traveling back home and how that might affect their visas," says Murphy. "Like, some of my friends have been advised not to leave the country. It sucks. Also, we want to show the surrounding community that we're here for each other, we're going to fight for each other, and we're not going to let this go, or happen silently."
The students marched roughly one mile from Coffman Union to the McNamara Center.
On President Donald Trump’s second day in office, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security rescinded protections for “sensitive areas,” like churches, hospitals, schools and college campuses, where immigration enforcement actions previously couldn’t take place.
A former version of the policy, issued by the Biden administration in 2021, said ICE agents were to avoid operating in these areas as much as possible. But that is no longer the case.
Many communities debated how much and whether schools should cooperate with immigration authorities during Trump’s first administration, when school systems including Chicago’s took stands against immigration enforcement.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection agents have long abided guidance that deters arresting parents or students at schools and other sensitive locations that provide access to things like medical care and food and shelter. But Trump’s re-election and campaign rhetoric on immigration policy have sparked discussions over whether those policies will stand.