New Orleans, LA — On Monday, January 26, nearly 100 students from Tulane and Loyola Universities, as well as community members, rallied outside Tulane in response to the ICE murder of Alex Pretti over the weekend. They demanded that both universities not permit Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Department of Homeland Security officers on their campus, nor share student information with either agency.

The action was held by chapters of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) at Tulane and Loyola, who have been leading the charge against Trump’s reactionary policies on their campuses. Speaking on behalf of the Queer Student Alliance (QSA) at Tulane, QSA and SDS member Billy Bernfeld called on the university administration to protect its students from ICE.

“If you will not establish Tulane as a sanctuary campus, then we will make it so ourselves! We will stand up, we will fight back, and we will organize until all are one under the banner of liberation!” said Bernfeld.

Students then took to the streets, chanting “Say it once, say it twice; we will not put up with ICE!” and “We’re not cold, we’re not afraid; Minny taught us how to be brave!” referring to the thousands of protesters mobilizing in Minneapolis against Operation Metro Surge. Attendees continued to march until they reached Saint Charles Avenue in front of Loyola University, where they proceeded to occupy the street.

Pablo Zavala, a professor at Loyola and a member of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) stated, “ICE kills the hopes and dreams many of us still stubbornly cling to, the same hopes and dreams embedded within that treacherous phrase ‘The American Dream.’”

Protesters shut down the street for over an hour, participating in an in-person email blast and phone zap to Loyola and Tulane admin respectively. They continued chanting and vowed to keep organizing and showing up in solidarity with all those affected by ICE.

“Dare to struggle today, dare to struggle tomorrow, dare to love and win forever!” declared Bernfeld.

#NewOrleansLA #LA #StudentMovement #ImmigrantRights #ICE #SDS