Flagstaff, AZ – After their September 4 “ICE out!” protest, members of the Flagstaff chapter of Students for a Democratic Society received identical Code of Conduct charges from Northern Arizona University. The charges meant the students were facing potential suspension or expulsion.

After holding a march, a sit-in, multiple call-ins, posting statements on social media, and sending a cease and desist notice from a lawyer, suspension or expulsion was avoided for all three students, and SDS Flagstaff declared victory over the university on September 28.

On Friday, September 11, SDS Flagstaff Vice President Sarah Rogala received an email informing her she was being charged with violations of the following Code of Conduct policies: “Other Rules,” “Failure to Comply,” and “Disruption.” Rogala was already on university probation due to similar charges stemming from SDS’s April 10 “ICE out” protest.

“Considering suspension was brought up as a possibility in that first hearing, when I had nothing on my record, I was thinking suspension was the most likely outcome of the hearing,” said Rogala.

On September 13, Claire Wagoner, president of SDS Flagstaff, received a notice from Jeffery D. McKay, NAU’s vice president for capital planning and campus operations. The letter stated that she is permanently trespassed from campus property for the repeated use of amplified sound equipment (megaphones) which were not registered with the university in advance. If Wagoner were to step foot on or drive through the NAU campus, she could potentially face several months in jail for trespassing.

“SDS is currently discussing our options with lawyers for rescinding this unconstitutional trespass order, which was served to restrict our First Amendment rights,” said Wagoner.

After Wagoner’s trespass order and the charges against Rogala, SDS Flagstaff organized a protest on September 18. Thirty minutes before the protest, two more SDS members, including Judah Francabandera, received the same charges as Rogala, with hearings scheduled for September 23.

The protest on September 18 started with a rally at NAU’s First Amendment Plaza and was attended by an estimated 80 to 100 people. At the rally, an SDS member read a speech written by Claire Wagoner, who could not attend due to the trespass given to her. Wagoner wrote, “Since the formation of our SDS chapter, we have been dealing with constant retaliation from NAU admin. They have made it abundantly clear they would rather target and punish student protesters than protect NAU students from ICE.”

Wagoner continued, “We can see clear as day that NAU is deeply afraid of the students rising together to demand better policies. They are doubling down in this fear, trespassing me for simply using a megaphone. They can and will arrest me and put me in jail for up to six months if I were to walk on campus, but we aren't scared!”

After the speech, the gathered crowd of students marched around the Student Union with the demands that the charges be dropped and NAU protect its students from ICE.

After being rescheduled multiple times, Rogala’s hearing was ultimately held on September 25. A sit-in and a call-in were held in support of Rogala. Lawyers were also contacted, and a cease and desist letter was emailed to the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities and NAU President Cruz Rivera. The letter was also emailed to the Center for Inclusive Excellence and Access, whose program director, Bernadine Lewis, filed the charges against Rogala. These actions culminated in Rogala being told in her hearing with Julia L. Czekaj that the school was not considering suspending or expelling her, which were two of the most severe possible outcomes.

After Rogala’s hearing, and the hearings of the other students, SDS Flagstaff released a statement on social media on September 28 declaring victory and reaffirming their goal of fighting for “sanctuary campus” policies at NAU, which would restrict ICE officers’ presence on campus and ensure that campus staff do not cooperate with ICE.

“We have faced many challenges in the last two weeks, but we have not let ourselves get demoralized, we have fought back hard, learned lessons from the struggle, and won! So please join us as we resume our fight for a sanctuary campus at NAU! Because when we fight, we win!” the statement said.

#FlagstaffAZ #AZ #StudentMovement #NorthernArizonaUniversity #ImmigrantRights #FreeSpeech #Featured

Portland, OR – On the evening of Friday, September 25, immigrant rights activists gathered outside Gateway Discovery Park to demand killer ICE off our streets and justice for victims of ICE. This rally was in response to Legalization for All's national call to action for the recent ICE shooting of Wilber Garces Perez in Austin, Texas.

Portland Contra las Deportaciones (PDXCD) organized the rally, and members of the immigrant rights organization held signs honoring lives lost by ICE. Local community members joined the mobilization and shared their anger with ICE terror. The demands “Killer ICE off our streets” and “Justice for Wilber” were echoed by those present.

PDXCD members gave short statements on how the recent uptick in ICE shootings informs their organizing. “We must keep demanding that Portland city government take action to shut down the Portland ICE facility before another life is lost,” said Beatriz Ibarra, referring to PDXCD’s campaign to revoke the permit for the Portland ICE facility.

Portland also experienced an ICE shooting in January 2026, when two Venezuelan asylum seekers were shot at near 148th and Burnside. Like Garces Perz in Texas, the victim of the Portland shooting, Luis Niño-Moncada, was charged with assault. That case is ongoing, as the defense attorney for the victims say agents attempted to tamper with evidence.

#PortlandOR #OR #ImmigrantRights #WilberPerez #ICE #PDXCD

One sign read, “Barnard’s border wall construction has high costs to the environment and immigrants, and diminishing returns,” while another read, “Border wall construction has already had destructive impacts on the Big Bend national park.”

This protest occurred in the context of what SDS described as MSU trying to “Intimidate student free speech.” According to a statement put out by SDS hours after the protest, the day before, MSU’s Dean of Students Matt Caires called SDS leadership into a meeting where he told them, any “social activism inside the career fair will be considered disruptive behavior.”

In their statement SDS said, “This [Caire’s statement] directly contradicts MSU’s written policies, which state that a campus official must ‘reasonably determine’ that conduct ‘substantially interferes’ with a university event.” SDS went on to say, “By threatening students, MSU has shown that it has made a pre-determination that any conduct SDS would engage in would be ‘disruptive’, before actually seeing the conduct itself.”

In an article published by MSU’s student newspaper The Exponent, Caires stated, “I never said anything [like] that ‘If you do this, you will get that.’” However, an audio recording of SDS’s meeting with Dean Caires provided by the students records Matt Caires stating explicitly, “I’m in good faith warning you, if you do that [protest inside the career fair], you’ll be charged with – you’ll be removed, and then charged with a conduct code violation.”

Despite SDS carrying on with their protest as planned, no students were removed or given conduct code violations. In their statement, SDS commented on this, “It is clear to us that if our protest did actually violate the Code of Conduct, MSU would have enforced it. Knowing that we were within our rights, MSU did not do so. This makes it even more troubling that the dean of students had attempted to intimidate students out of protesting.”

SDS finished their statement saying, “We wholeheartedly condemn this behavior by MSU admin and will continue to stand for our right to free speech. Defend campus free speech! No border wall!”

#BozemanMT #MT #StudentMovement #MontanaStateUniversity #ImmigrantRights

Tampa, FL – Students at the University of South Florida held a protest September 29 against the Florida Board of Governors ban on undocumented students attending state-funded schools.

This protest was called by Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society after the Florida Board of Governors voted to restrict the admission of non-citizens to the Florida College system; it now requires students to be “lawfully present” in the U.S. The Florida College system consists of 28 schools, including the University of South Florida.

Students at the protest demanded a sanctuary campus to protect immigrant and undocumented students.

SDS member Briana Beebe stated, “DeSantis and the Board of Governors’ recent policy that bans undocumented students from seeking a higher education at public universities in Florida is a huge blow to educational equity. We are here to say to hell with DeSantis and shame on USF for not standing up for undocumented students.”

#TampaFL #FL #USF #StudentMovement #SDS #RonDeSantis #ImmigrantRights

Portland, OR – On September 28, right-wing extremist Thomas Allen attended his arraignment for assaulting immigrant rights protester Holly Brown. Anti-ICE activists held a press conference beforehand and packed the court to show support for Brown and demand strict conditions of release.

Allen faces four misdemeanor charges for pushing Brown into a concrete pillar outside of Multnomah County Court during a protest demanding the closure of the Portland ICE facility.

Immigrant rights organization Portland Contra Las Deportaciones held the press conference before Allen’s arraignment. Activists held signs with the slogans, “White supremacists out of Portland” “MAGA out of Portland” and “Convict Thomas Allen.” They led chants calling for Allen’s conviction and for ICE to leave Portland.

Brown spoke to local news station KOIN news regarding the need for strict release conditions.

“Allen comes to immigrant rights and anti-Trump protests with the sole goal of instigating violence so he can attack progressive protesters,” said Brown. “He is attempting to repress our organizing. The county has a responsibility to protect our First Amendment rights and keep him away from our protests.”

Allen and a group of MAGA extremists showed up to the press conference and harassed the anti-ICE protesters. One of Allen’s supporters grabbed a bystander by the ponytail. They yelled racial epithets at an attendee of the press conference.

After the press conference, both groups went inside the courthouse. Brown’s supporters far outnumbered Allen’s. Two news outlets entered the courtroom as well.

The arraignment was initially assigned to Judge Steffan Alexander. Alexander is also overseeing the legal proceedings for the Portland ICE facility. On the day Brown was assaulted, she was protesting to demand Judge Alexander remove a block on the enforcement of a land use violation issued to the Portland ICE facility for holding detainees past a 12-hour limit.

Knowing this may make Alexander biased against Brown, PDXCD put out a call for supporters to email Alexander demanding he enforce strict conditions of release. After the pressure, Alexander requested to be switched off the arraignment, and a new judge oversaw the proceedings.

Allen entered a plea of “not guilty.” Brown was allowed to speak to the judge and requested certain release conditions.

Brown spoke to the constant harassment and violence from Allen, as well as his hateful rhetoric and instigation of his large following on X to violence.

The judge agreed to release conditions requiring Allen to stay 500 feet away from Brown and preventing him from communication with or about Brown, including through social media.

After the arraignment, Allen and his group left the courtroom and immediately posted about Brown, violating his court order.

Immigrant rights activists celebrated the strict conditions of release. “These conditions mean Allen won’t be able to harass and intimidate our protests for immigrant rights,” said attendee Blaire Glennon. “This was only possible due to our constant pressure on the district attorney. Standing up loudly against all forms of oppression is the only way we will win.”

#PortlandOR #OR #ImmigrantRights #RightWing #PDXCD

Santa Ana, CA – El 12 de septiembre, la Organización de Servicio Comunitario del Condado de Orange (CSO OC) y miembros de la comunidad pusieron una mesa de información frente al conocido restaurante salvadoreño El Salvador Café para distribuir recursos e información cruciales en respuesta al más reciente ataque de Trump que amenaza con poner fin al Estatus de Protección Temporal (TPS) para los inmigrantes salvadoreños.

Los miembros de CSO OC entregaron paquetes informativos primero a los trabajadores del restaurante salvadoreño y luego se dirigieron a los negocios vecinos de propietarios mexicanos y centroamericanos. Conversaron con trabajadores y miembros de la comunidad sobre el último ataque de Trump contra la comunidad inmigrante salvadoreña y sus políticas anteriores, como un paquete de gastos de $170 mil millones para la aplicación de leyes migratorias, la suspensión y revocación de visas para personas de 75 países, entre otras medidas.

CSO OC organizó este evento informativo como respuesta a la semana de acción de la red Legalización Para Todos (L4A) para detener la agenda de Trump, y en solidaridad con la marcha de la coalición Dallas Against Trump durante la Convención Republicana de Mitad de Mandato (RNC). El periodo del 9 al 13 de septiembre estuvo marcado por ataques como la fecha de vencimiento del TPS para salvadoreños el 9 de septiembre, la promesa de Trump de revocar 200,000 visas y la celebración de la RNC de mitad de mandato los días 9 y 10 de septiembre.

El día en que se suponía que vencería el TPS salvadoreño, ICE envió un anuncio declarando que una decisión sobre el estatus del TPS para los salvadoreños se tomará en el momento apropiado. Aunque técnicamente el TPS no expiró, esta situación deja en el limbo a los 170,000 salvadoreños beneficiarios de dicho programa.

CSO OC continuará realizando sus caminatas por los barrios, en los que distribuye información y recursos importantes sobre ICE y los ataques de Trump contra los inmigrantes.

Si te interesa participar en una acción o reunión de CSO OC, puedes contactarlos en orangecountycso@gmail.com o en Instagram en CSO.OC.

#SantaAnaCA #CA #OrangeCounty #ImmigrantRights #TPS #ElSalvador #CSOOC

Seattle, WA – On September 26, around 20 Seattle and South King County residents gathered in the White Center neighborhood to protest the ICE shooting of Wilber Perez, and recent local abductions in the area. The group, organized by King County Immigrant Rights Alliance (KCIRA), marched through the town’s main street, stopping at each of the sites where locals were kidnapped by ICE.

The marching route was unexpectedly diverted when ICE kidnapped someone right around the corner from the demonstration. Marchers hurried to the site. They arrived mere minutes after a man named Ivan was stolen away, finding only his empty car and several locals who were gathered in the parking lot, shouting angrily about what they’d just witnessed.

“It was no more than about ten minutes ago that I came here,” said Flor Chicana, a local musician and activist who happened to be nearby when ICE agents set upon the man’s car. “It was a man named Ivan – he was being taken away and he was calm, he didn’t want anything to happen. He wanted to make sure that he could at least just be alive!”

The kidnapping took place cross the street from another abduction site, a local laundromat staffed and visited primarily by Chicanos in the area. The group stopped to chant outside and listen to a speech by Indira Trejocordova of the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement, while members of KCIRA went into the laundromat to speak with the employees and community members who witnessed the recent abduction.

“We have been coming out time and time again,” said Joseph Ostheller of KCIRA. “It might feel like nothing is changing. ICE activity has even increased! But change comes from consistent effort, and we already see the cracks showing! Take heart, we are still out here, still resisting. A better world is possible, and together we are unstoppable!”

#SeattleWA #WA #ImmigrantRights #ICE #KCIRA #WilberPerez

St. Paul, MN – On Saturday, September 26, the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC) and dozens of community members protested at the Governor’s Residence to demand that Tim Walz sign an executive order making Minnesota a sanctuary state. The rally also brought attention to there being only 100 days remaining of Walz’s term as governor, adding a sense of urgency to the call for Walz to address the demands.

Protesters raised that ICE is still violating the rights of Minnesotans and tearing families apart. One of the demands of MIRAC’s sanctuary state campaign is to ban on 287(g) agreements, which deputize local agencies to act as appendages of ICE, investing cops with federal immigration enforcement powers, which can include stopping, interrogating, arresting and transporting immigrants based purely on immigration status – or the perception of such.

“Tim Walz, we need a sanctuary state now!” stated Hazel Wilde from MIRAC “He has time to act and nothing to lose. He’s even equipped with a template to follow. Governors Healey and Sherill of Massachusetts and New Jersey have already enacted protections in their states. Minnesotans have consistently demonstrated our demands. It’s time to listen to your constituents!”

Jae Yates from Twin Cities Coalition for Justice (TCC4J) called out the governor for trying to profit from Metro Surge, stating, “How morally bankrupt do you have to be to be talking about writing a book about the occupation, while your constituents are still suffering from it? How morally bankrupt do you have to be to hide in your mansion, while immigrant families who run the economy of the state; who are workers in every sector. Every single industry in this country is supported by immigrant labor. And yet, instead of caring about these people as human beings. Instead of saying ‘let me help your community,’ we are shutting down programs that are meant to help people recover; and then we’re hiding from our constituents who want something to be done? It’s shameful!”

This protest was part of a call to action from the Legalization 4 All Network in response to four instances of ICE violence in the past week: on September 17, Edgar Borromeo Cabrera-Gomez was run over by an ICE vehicle in Georgia, breaking his leg and spine; on September 18, Carlos Josue Marchena died in a Louisiana detention center after being denied access to diabetes medication; on September 20, Mario David Coronado Juárez was killed in a car accident while fleeing from ICE agents in Michigan; and on September 23, ICE agents in Texas shot Wilber Rafael Garces Perez then took him into custody bleeding, with the bullet still in his body.

Alissa Washington, of the Wrongfully Incarcerated and Over-sentenced Families Council, told the crowd, “Governor Walz, families need to know what you are going to do. When you are going to do it. And how you intend to protect people when ICE comes for them. We should not have to stand outside your residence to make the safety of our families a priority!”

The protest was also supported by Asamblea de Derechos Civiles, a faith-based organization.

After the speaker program concluded, protesters affixed signs that read “100 days left” and blue bunny hats to the fence in front of the mansion, representing Liam Conejo Ramos, the five-year-old boy who was detained by ICE in Minnesota in January, and all children affected by federal immigration enforcement.

The organizers urged attendees to sign and share their petition for the sanctuary state campaign that can be found online at miracmn.com.

#StPaulMN #MN #ImmigrantRights #TimWalz #MIRAC #SanctuaryState

Chicago, IL – On Wednesday, September 23, hundreds of people gathered at the Rafael Cintrón Ortiz Latino Cultural Center (LCC) at the University of Illinois at Chicago to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the cultural center. Founded on September 19, 1976, the LCC was the first cultural center at UIC and was named after a Puerto Rican professor, Rafael Cintrón Ortiz, who supported the just struggles of the student activists in the 1970s.

Just a few hours before the event began, Mexican Students de Aztlán (MeSA) led hundreds of students in successfully preventing the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol from attending a career fair hosted by UIC. Student activists, university faculty and staff, and community members filled the LCC. People socialized and shared food, listened to speeches from professors, alumni and cultural center staff, and ended the night by dancing to music by Chicago DJ duo TRQPiTECA and local student band Grupo Tercero. Months of work by cultural center staff, student interns and countless others made this lively celebration possible. Attendees remarked how emotional and empowered the event made them feel, and rightfully so.

Donald Trump’s racist and reactionary administration has come down hard on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in higher education. At many universities across the country, cultural centers have been downright closed or “consolidated,” that is, effectively shut down. To make matters worse, these decisions are often made by racist campus administrators without any warning to the staff and interns at said cultural centers, leaving them jobless. Such is the situation at Louisiana State University, for instance. But it would be a mistake to believe that these attacks on DEI are limited to places like the Black Belt South or Aztlán, where the national liberation struggles of the African-American and Chicano peoples for self-determination are respectively rooted.

In the Midwest, and in Black and brown working-class cities like Chicago, there have also been attacks on DEI. At universities like UIC, there is a long history of struggles for full equality for oppressed nationalities. The oppressed students and youth here have waged historic fights for recruitment programs, ethnic studies departments and cultural centers. And to this day, the struggle for full equality rages on. Student activist groups such as New Students for a Democratic Society at UIC have been waging a struggle to defend and increase funding for the cultural centers on campus, successfully reversing a budget cut proposed by the university administration in 2025.

Jorge Mena Robles, a former student activist with the Immigrant Youth Justice League at UIC and current associate director of the LCC, took the stage. Mena Robles introduced the keynote speaker for the nighttime celebration, Dr. Lilia Fernandez.

Dr. Fernandez is a professor and director of Graduate Studies at UIC in the Department of History. She is a historian of the 20th-century United States and author of the seminal work Brown in the Windy City: Mexicans and Puerto Ricans in Postwar Chicago, and perhaps the best professor I’ve ever had at UIC. For this reason, I have received her permission to quote her at length in an attempt to highlight what I believe are some of the most important points that she raised during her keynote speech, which I believe highlight the historical significance of the LCC’s 50th anniversary.

“I'd like to start by acknowledging the many student activists who were here in the early 1970s, especially in 1973, who protested, occupied university hall, made demands for greater access to this university, and otherwise registered their dissent over how this institution explicitly excluded Mexican-Americans, Puerto Ricans and other students of color. They acted with courage and commitment at great risk to their personal well-being and their educational careers, and it's because of them that we are here today,” said Dr. Fernandez.

Fernandez continued, “Let me provide some further historical context about when the RCOLCC was first opened in 1976. The year before, the United States had finally abandoned the Vietnam War, after it had claimed the lives of so many of our community's young men. The Sears Tower, and in my book it will always be The Sears Tower, was shining anew, having only been built just three years prior. And to bring this closer to home, to make this more personal, I was just a preschooler at El Hogar Del Niño Daycare Center in Pilsen, for any of you who know it. A culturally conscious community institution that provided childcare for the neighborhood's working mothers. El Hogar Del Niño, just like El Centro De La Causa, Casa Aztlán, the Puerto Rican Cultural Center, the Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center, this cultural center, and so much else that we've enjoyed in our communities for decades, was the fruit of so much activist labor.”

Fernandez highlighted how much the university has changed in the past 50 years: “UIC was a very different place 50 years ago. Latino students were very few in number. They found themselves in a sea of predominantly white students, many of whom we should note, traced their own roots to working-class and immigrant families. But few of those white classmates came from the same neighborhoods or high schools, or shared the same cultural practices or traditions as Latino students. Back then, Latinos could experience outright hostility and antagonism for their mere presence here at Circle, as it was known. Not only from academics, who argued that minority students were intellectually inferior, but from others who thought that Latinos did not deserve access to higher education. A lot has changed in the past 50 years. Today, whether the university celebrates it or not, UIC is a Hispanic-Serving Institution, a federally designated Hispanic-Serving Institution.”

In reviewing UIC’s latest demographic statistics, Dr. Fernandez reminded Latino students of the power they hold at the university. She said, “In fall 2025, Latinos made up 36% of all UIC undergraduates, 42% of all incoming first-years, and 30% of all students in undergraduate, graduate and professional programs combined. Think about how far we've come in the last 50 years. Fifty years ago Latinos were less than 2% of students here. Today they are the largest ethnic group in this richly diverse, multi-racial community. And unlike days past, where the cultural center was the only refuge where Latino students might find one another, besides a dining hall table I've heard of in the student center back in the day. Today Latino students are visible everywhere on this campus. In fact, this university depends on Latino students. If all of them suddenly decided collectively to withdraw their tuition payments, their financial aid checks, their course registrations… If that were to happen, this university would face a major crisis.”

Dr. Fernandez also explained that many students and youth are dealing with intense “individualism, alienation, and isolation” and that cultural centers such as the LCC can help provide an antidote to these ills and serve as places “to build community, to come together, to learn from one another, face-to-face.” She reflected on the challenging times that we live in under Trump’s racist and reactionary administration, the need to oppose U.S. wars in Asia, Africa and the Americas, and the extreme wealth inequality in this country brought on by the accelerated decline of monopoly capitalism, referring to the times we live in as “The Gilded Age on steroids.”

Then, Dr. Fernandez posed important questions about the historical and contemporary visibility of Latinos in U.S. society. She said, “When people think about our contributions to this country, to this city, we are often celebrated for our arts and culture. That is wonderful. But I want to urge us to think about our culture critically. We're recognized for our colorful fiestas, our celebrations, and there's nothing inherently wrong with being artists or cultural workers. But what I see problematic is when we are reduced and restricted to only those roles. When we are seen strictly through that lens, as festive, happy people, performers, or entertainers, for an audience, perhaps. Then, I think we have a problem. Pigeonholing us in that way diminishes our whole humanity. What about our social, political, and economic contributions? For the enduring campaigns we've fought? For the blood, sweat, and tears we have shed?”

Finally, Dr. Fernandez ended her speech by speaking directly to the youth in attendance and saying, “I'm passionate about lifting up and highlighting our many forms of labor to claim our rightful place in this society, and I'm going to use my authority here as a professor right now to give you all some homework, students in particular, a challenge, perhaps.”

“Whenever you come to campus, I want you to ask yourselves: What are we doing here to advance justice? To bring about meaningful social-political change? To promote collective freedom? I encourage you to think about the LCC as a site of historical struggle, and a place to build on the legacy of those students and community members who fought for us to be able to enjoy it today. So I leave you with these two last questions: What will our legacy be? And how will we be remembered in 50 years? Thank you.”

Ángel Naranjos is a fourth-year student at UIC, a Latin American and Latino Studies major, and a leader of MeSA’s Education, Resistance, and Activism Committee.

#ChicagoIL #IL #OppressedNationalities #Commentary #Chicano #Latino #ImmigrantRights #ICE #UIC

Grand Rapids, MI – On the evening of Thursday, September 24, a group gathered for a vigil on Century Avenue at the site where Mario David Coronado Juarez lost his life in a fatal car crash just days before.

Moments before the crash, federal agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) stopped Mario’s vehicle on the side of the road. Coronado Juarez sped away from the agents, which led to the crash that took his life. Mario’s death comes just two days after Wilber Rafael Garcés Perez was shot in the back by ICE agents in Austin, Texas.

Present at this vigil were community members, local activists, politicians and Coronado Juarez’s own family, who were grieving the loss of their loved one. In his memory and honor, attendees prayed and sang. Chants echoed throughout the crowd: “Justicia para Mario.”

Helping to organize the vigil were members from the non-profit organization Movimiento Cosecha, an immigrant rights group which has been fighting for the establishment of sanctuary policies in Grand Rapids. An organizer with Movimiento Cosecha, Gema Lowe, called for attendees to support Mario’s family during this incredibly difficult time.

Lowe further demanded justice for Mario and for the immigrant community who have suffered the pain and brutality inflicted on them by ICE. She told the crowd, “We should be able to walk without fear. We want all agents responsible to be brought to justice.”

As the vigil continued into the night and the sun set on attendees, the Grand Rapids community remained in solidarity to remember the life of a man who was taken from them by ICE’s terror.

#GrandRapidsMI #MI #ImmigrantRights #ICE #MarioDavidoCoronadoJuarez #OppressedNationalities #Featured

Tampa, FL – On September 17, community members spoke at a Tampa City Council meeting to demand that Tampa city council pass an ordinance to end their city’s collaboration with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

In February 2025, Tampa Police Department signed onto the 287(g) agreement which allows it to carry out the duties of ICE agents.

Since Trump’s second term, ICE arrests in Florida have more than tripled. ICE arrests in Florida account for 10% of all ICE arrests in the country, placing Florida second to Texas in ICE arrests. In Tampa, these arrests occur in predominantly immigrant and Latino neighborhoods. Local law enforcement, through the 287(g) agreement, is often seen partaking in these arrests.

“Immigration enforcement surges like this leave people hiding out of fear in their own communities,” Nico Baisley, a member of the Tampa Immigrant Rights Committee (Tampa IRC) said during public comment. “People miss work, children miss school.”

#TampaFL #FL #ImmigrantRights #ICE #287g #TPD

Chicago IL – Over 150 students, faculty and community mobilized at the University of Illinois at Chicago Quad on Wednesday, September 23, to protest the UIC administration for inviting U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to recruit at the Business Career Fair and to demand that UIC declare itself a sanctuary campus.

The protest, organized by Mexican Students de Aztlán (MeSA) with the support of multiple campus organizations, forced CBP to quietly withdraw from the event.

The action came after students received Handshake (a university jobs board) notifications inviting them to meet with border patrol recruiters at the career fair.

MeSA issued a call for the UIC community to demand that Chancellor Marie Lynn Miranda, the UIC administration and the College of Business revoke the invitation and make a public statement to the community. Within hours, the administration shut down phone lines as students, staff and community members flooded the chancellor's office with calls and emails. CBP announced it would not attend, but the administration refused to formally revoke the invitation.

MeSA speakers made it very clear that CBP's backing out from the event was a victory won by student organizing. And that the administration is at fault for it.

“The only reason those pigs aren't here right now is because of our efforts, your efforts,” said Lupe Lara Guzman, a co-lead of MeSA's ERA Committee.

Guzman continued, “Chancellor Miranda was perfectly fine with their attendance as long as they followed proper guidelines. Chancellor Miranda: was CBP following proper guidelines when they murdered Silverio Villegas González last September? Or when they abducted two women off of our campus last October? Have they been following proper guidelines as they continue to terrorize our communities every single day? You cannot hide behind protocol, Chancellor Miranda. Your neutrality and silence is complicity. More than that, it is disgusting, morally abhorrent, and shameful.”

Kalin Daniel of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) told the crowd, “The harm was done the moment that invitation was sent. The fact that CBP declined does not erase the fact that UIC administration wanted them here. It does not erase the fact that they viewed an agency of state violence as a 'suitable employer' for our students.”

Kayla Nguyen, a member of Freedom Road Socialist Organization stated, “As a rapid responder myself, I see the on-the-ground impacts of these racists on Chicago's streets every day.”

Nguyen continued, “We see CPD allowing ICE to stage in the 17th District police department parking lot. We see CPD racially profiling and targeting Mexican families celebrating Independence Day. We see them handing snacks and water to ICE and CBP at Broadview. This system is fucking broken, and we fucking know it. This an empire in decline. Donald Trump and his racist capitalist cronies are just a symptom of it!”

Karime Beltran, another co-lead of MeSA's ERA Committee, stated, “As a Mexican American student, it is deeply disturbing to see UIC prioritize an employer relationship over the safety, dignity, and sense of belonging of its own students. We are demanding more than statements. We are demanding action. UIC should take meaningful steps toward becoming a sanctuary campus, including cutting institutional ties with CBP and ICE and prioritizing the safety and well-being of the students who call this university home.”

The protest was organized by MeSA in response to UIC's invitation to CBP and the administration's refusal to formally rescind it. The action builds on the prior organizing work of MeSA's sanctuary campus campaign, which has demanded that UIC cut ties with immigration enforcement agencies and invest in protections for undocumented students. The ever-increasing demand for a sanctuary campus comes after a federal court struck down the Acevedo Act, Illinois DREAM Act, and Illinois RISE Act in July 2026, severely restricting educational access for undocumented students in Illinois. It also follows the abduction of two women by immigration agents on UIC's campus during Operation Midway Blitz last October.

Endorsing organizations for the September 23 rally included Students for a Democratic Society at UIC, Anakbayan at UIC, Fearless Undocumented Alliance, Jewish Student Collective at UIC, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, and Sanctuary For All.

Organizers called on people to join organizations and continue the fight for a sanctuary campus and to hold the administration accountable.

#ChicagoIL #IL #StudentMovement #ImmigrantRights #MESA #UIC #CBP #ICE #Chicano #OppressedNationalities

Saint Paul, MN – Dozens gathered at the Minnesota State Capitol on Tuesday, September 22 to unveil the MN Stolen Neighbors Quilt. More than 150 people labored over six months to sew together 12,500 quilt squares – each square representing a Minnesota immigrant taken by ICE from the start of the second Trump term to the end of Operation Metro Surge.

The organizers behind the MN Stolen Neighbors Quilt Project were joined by Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC) and 50 community members in the capitol rotunda, where the quilt was unfurled. There was a moment of silence as the weight of the quilt and the lives it symbolized were impressed upon the crowd.

Then, the quilt was carried outside and overlaid on the steps of the State Capitol Mall, where it served as a solemn backdrop for the speeches during the “No More Stolen Neighbors” rally.

The first speaker was one of the organizers of the MN Stolen Neighbors Quilt Project and a member of MIRAC, Owen Lubozynski. He explained how the hidden violence of post-Surge DHS activity motivated him to create the Stolen Neighbors Quilt Project, launched in April with assistance from fellow Twin Cities activist Melissa Greene.

He also remarked on the extent of the community effort that went into the project. Neighbors across the country contributed portions of the quilt. Local sewing shops, including Lakes Makerie, Knit and Bolt, and the Sewing Lounge donated fabric; the Textile Center served as a hub for volunteer sewers, and Art Buddies collaborated with the middle schoolers of Whittier Elementary School to illustrate more than 100 squares of the quilt.

The outpouring of support from the community was such that they overshot the initial goal of 11,000 squares, meant to represent the roughly 11,000 Minnesotan immigrants that were kidnapped by ICE between the beginning of Trump’s second term and the end of Operation Metro Surge. In total, more than 150 people have contributed to the effort. The finished quilt is approximately nine feet wide by 33 feet long.

Owen states, “We weren’t considering what happens when you ask Minnesotans for a favor, so the quilt here today actually contains 12,500 squares. Which is amazing. Unfortunately, it is reflective of what has been happening here over the past several months. Since March, ICE has abducted more than 900 Minnesotans and counting.”

Owen explained how the majority of these arrests that have largely gone unnoticed are due to 287(g) agreements between local agencies and DHS.

Banning collaboration between local agencies and ICE is the first item on MIRAC’s list of demands in its “Sanctuary State Now” campaign, focused on pressuring the governor to sign an executive order that would also protect sensitive locations from ICE, ban secret police, defend protestors against political repression, provide justice for victims of ICE terror, and implement a statewide eviction moratorium. The campaign promotes policies that provide true safety and justice, rather than a superficial peace that disguises streamlined persecution.

Alissa Washington, the executive director of the Wrongfully Incarcerated and Over-sentenced Families Council and member of Twin Cities Coalition for Justice, mentioned how ICE kidnapped a member of her own family during the summer, many months after the supposed end of Operation Metro Surge.

Washington stated, “My 72-year-old uncle, Nonh Noradeth, had lived in this country for more than 40 years. ICE detained him here in Minnesota, transferred him all the way to Louisiana, and ultimately deported him to Laos. He left behind his wife and four children. And for a period of time, I became the guardian of those four children while our family tried to survive what had been done to us.”

Gabby Hobart, a rank-and-file member of the Minneapolis Federation of Educators and a bilingual educator, shared how one day, she received news of an abducted student and had to console his grieving mother.

Hobart stated, “To this day, I think of him, as he loved math and lit up every classroom. He was denied the joy of walking alongside his classmates during graduation. My story is just one among many. Educators across the city were on the front lines of responding to the federal occupation of our city, all the while our elected officials stood by and watched these terrors and horrors happen.”

Grace Gamble, is a member of Hands Off Latin America, affiliated with Women Against Military Madness. She explained how the U.S. creates the conditions for migration that the U.S. tries to violently suppress. From her visit to Cuba a month ago, she shared a firsthand account of how the U.S.’s fuel blockade on Cuba has been affecting the country.

The last two speakers expressed the importance of standing up for immigrants at home and those fighting against imperialism abroad, no matter your age or immigrant background.

Anna Madison, a member of Families Against Military Mayhem and Eyes Off Saint Paul, declared, pointed out how the Walz administration has been dragging its feet on enacting protections for immigrants and their allies, even as they’re being targeted by the federal government.

Jesus García, a member of Asamblea de Derechos Civiles, shared that he “was undocumented for 25 years here in this nation, all the time working and contributing, because although one works without documents, one pays taxes. One contributes to the nation. Fortunately, thanks to God, last year I became an American citizen. For that reason I come to raise my voice for those who cannot. For those who are still under the shadows.”

At the end of the rally, participants gathered on the steps beside the quilt, chanting, “When immigrants are under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back!” In this way, they demonstrated the core intention of the quilt.

The organizers of the MN Stolen Neighbors Quilt Project can be contacted at mnquiltproject@gmail.com.

#StPaulMN #MN #ImmigrantRights #ICE #MIRAC #Deportations

Jacksonville, FL — On September 22, the Jacksonville Immigrant Rights Alliance and the Jacksonville Community Action Committee held a press conference outside city hall while, inside, officials worked on approving the 2026-27 city budget. The groups demanded an end to the 287(g) agreement that allows ICE to collaborate with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, as well as a People’s Budget, a budget proposed by JCAC that addresses underfunded areas of Jacksonville and denies the sheriff’s budget increase request.

They argued that the 287(g) agreement will instill more fear in community members and further fund a sheriff’s office that already receives an inflated share of the city’s resources compared with other underserved areas.

At the press conference, a member of the Jacksonville Immigrant Rights Alliance said, “Two weeks ago, ICE followed a man with legal immigration status home. When he tried to go inside his home, ICE cornered his children, strategically separating them from their father, while calling the man a bad father to his face. Now, since ICE can’t detain him, JSO has him in our jail on charges of child endangerment.” The recorded incident quickly circulated online, causing community outcry for the family affected.

Members of A Mother’s Cry also attended. The organization brings together grieving mothers in Jacksonville whose loved ones lost their lives to JSO. They are demanding a mental health response team to handle mental health crisis calls instead of sending JSO officers, who, they say, often escalate situations and kill community members.

Ms. Melody of A Mother’s Cry said at the press conference, “It was my son. Then it was Asia, and this has got to stop. A Mother’s Cry supports JCAC, and we want a People’s Budget and a mental health response team so that no more of our kids die.”

After the press conference, community members went inside for public comment to the city council and stated their demands to the city council at large. The city council approved a $38 million increase for JSO, bringing its budget to a total of $673.6 million, nearly half of the city’s entire general fund, and left the status of the 287(g) agreement unchanged.

#JacksonvilleFL #FL #ImmigrantRights #InJusticeSystem #JIRA #JCAC

Portland, OR – Multnomah County issued an arrest warrant on September 22 for right-wing extremist Thomas Allen for the assault of immigrant rights protester Holly Brown.

The warrant came after a campaign demanding Multnomah County District Attorney Nathan Vasquez press charges.

Allen is a right-wing influencer known for showing up at anti-Trump and anti-ICE protests in Portland to harass and assault progressive activists. Despite many instances of assault and using chemical weapons on protesters in front of police, he was only arrested once, in October 2025, for punching an anti-ICE protester at the Portland ICE facility. He pled guilty then to a charge of disorderly conduct.

On September 1, during a press conference at Multnomah County Courthouse to demand the closure of the Portland ICE facility, Allen violently shoved Brown into a concrete pillar, causing a head injury and whiplash. Police were on site, witnessed the assault, and did not arrest Allen. They formed a line to protect Allen from the immigrant rights protestors who had just been assaulted.

Brown filed a police report for the assault stating, “The police allow Allen to do their dirty work of silencing and repressing immigrant rights protests. We must put pressure on the police and district attorney to arrest and charge these violent MAGA extremists so we can continue our important work of fighting ICE terror.”

A video by PDXCD describing the assault and asking viewers to call and email the DA amassed almost 1 million views on different social media platforms, with thousands of comments stating they contacted the DA.

Allen then held hate rallies two weeks in a row at a local queer-friendly bar, the Sports Bra, for its support of trans rights. The Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) held counter-protests and ran Allen and his transphobic group away from the bar. This garnered a large amount of media attention and trans rights activists pointed out the lack of police action when Allen and his group assaulted more protesters and used large amounts of chemical weapons in a residential neighborhood.

After the second hate rally, PDXCD called a press conference at Multnomah County Courthouse for September 21 to highlight the lack of action by the police and DA on September 1 and how it allowed Allen to continue to enact more violence in the following weeks.

The morning before the press conference, the district attorney notified the media they were moving forward with charges on Allen for his assault of Brown and that a warrant for his arrest was in process.

PDXCD continued with the press conference. Allen showed up to the event and harassed attendees as they spoke with three news stations. The immigrant rights protesters then marched to the police station with the media to demand answers as to why the police are allowing right-wing extremists to attack progressive activists with no consequences. Allen followed the group into the police station, yelling insults regarding people’s identities.

While inside the police station, KOIN news reporter Ariel Salk approached Allen on camera and told him there was a warrant for his arrest. Allen, shocked and confused, stated he was unaware and that it was “bullshit.” He immediately left the police station rather than risk arrest, ended his livestream and rode away on a Lime scooter.

There is now an active warrant for Allen’s arrest. PDXCD is urging anyone who sees him to contact the non-emergency hotline at 503-823-3333 to report his location and demand police arrest him.

Allen is facing four misdemeanor charges: class four assault, two counts of harassment and one count of disorderly conduct. As a condition of his charges, Allen is not allowed within a two-block radius of Brown. He is also barred from the Multnomah County Courthouse, outside of his court appearances. He was on probation for his arrest last October and will potentially face consequences for probation violation.

“It is about time Allen faced consequences for his attempts to stifle anti-ICE and anti-Trump protests,” said immigrant rights activist Omar Gill. “The issue remains that it took thousands of phone calls and media attention to get the police and district attorney to do the right thing. Many others who’ve been assaulted by Allen are still without justice. It is clear we must continue to place demands on the city and county to take action against these MAGA extremists.”

#PortlandOR #OR #ImmigrantRights #PeoplesStruggles #MAGA #ThomasAllen #PDXCD #Featured

Dallas, TX – On September 21, the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression – Dallas (NAARPR-Dallas) and the Dallas Against the Trump Agenda Coalition held a protest outside the Dallas ICE field office in response to the shooting of Wilber Rafael Garces Pérez, a Venezuelan immigrant by an ICE agent in Austin.

Lili Monge, a member of NAARPR-Dallas, spoke at the rally, saying, “First it was Houston, then it was Austin; it’s only a matter of time before it happens in Dallas. We need to demand city council pass resolutions to hold an independent investigation into these shootings and killings. No one in Congress or any governmental body is holding them accountable. We don’t feel safe around ICE. We need to keep pushing back to regain the civil rights that we've lost.”

40 people gathered to make their voices heard and held signs denouncing ICE killings. Members of different organizations attended the rally, including Freedom Road Socialist Organization and DFW-Anti War Committee.

Chants rang out such as, “Legalization for all” and “Killer ICE off our streets!”

#DallasTX #TX #ImmigrantRights #ICE #WilberRafaelGarcesPerez #NAARPRDallas #OppressedNationalities

Tallahassee, FL – On September 17, Tallahassee Students for a Democratic Society gathered at Landis Fountain to demand an end to “Flock Safety” in the city. Around 30 students gathered holding signs against Flock mass surveillance, and speakers discussed the harmful effects of Flock on our community. Student slogans included “What do we want? Privacy! When do we want it? Now!” and “No justice, no peace! No racist police!”

On August 31, Governor Ron DeSantis announced the removal of LPRs (License Plate Readers) on state roads, with a 30-day deadline. County and city governments, such as Tallahassee, have followed up on this move in an atmosphere of opposition to Flock surveillance, with Tallahassee City Commission voting to suspend ALPRs (Flock and Motorola cameras) on September 9.

However, the city commission rejected a vote to cover these cameras, which would prevent them from recording. Leon County voted on September 15 to remove all ALPR cameras within 30 days.

These removals and suspensions have so far not included cameras in neighborhoods and campuses. The frequent misreports from ALRPs and their constant recording have been met with backlash, but the state campaign for mass surveillance has not ended.

Amy Farnum-Patronis, the senior director of university communications at FSU, reported vaguely to FSView that, “in light of current ongoing conversations on this topic and in the interest of being as transparent as possible, we can confirm that the core of FSU's campus does not contain Flock devices.”

The Tallahassee Police Department wants people to think they can regulate Flock. They claim to have “have implemented policies governing the professional and appropriate use of ALPR technology.”

Flock, a private company for mass surveillance, wrote in its own February 2026 Terms of Service that the company has “irrevocable, perpetual, worldwide license to (a) use and disclose Customer Data to provide the Flock Services.” Customer data, defined as whatever Flock cameras record, can be shared by Flock to local and federal agencies around the country for “investigative purposes,” even if TPD opts out of data sharing. Flock has frequently used this data to aid the ICE terror campaign.

As residents of Tallahassee know, our city has been a center for ICE deportations in Florida. On May 29, one of the largest ICE roundups in Florida occurred in Gaines Street, Tallahassee, detaining more than 100 construction workers. Tallahassee has also agreed to the 287(g) agreement, whereby police officers can take on ICE duties and racially profile the residents of Tallahassee.

At the SDS protest at Landis Fountain, a speaker and Tallahassee Immigrant Rights Alliance member said, “These cameras have been used by police for their own personal gain, to stalk and harass primarily women.” He pointed out, “We have no idea how they’re using this technology right now, because there is no transparency. Recently, the Florida governor made it illegal for undocumented students to even enroll in Florida public colleges. So, do you think that the only line of defense is going to be the admission’s office? What happens when they start to be even more muscular in their crackdown against students on campus? When they start to suspect that some brown kid might actually be illegal on campus?”

FSU students refuse to accept the vague sidestepping of FSU admin and refuse to back down on the fight against Flock. Suspension and ALPR removal are not enough, and SDS will keep up the pressure to protect the right to privacy for all residents of Tallahassee. SDS will demand Flock removal until every Flock camera in Tallahassee is removed.

#TallahasseeFL #FL #StudentMovement #FlockCameras #Flock #SDS #ImmigrantRights #Surveillance #ALPR

Austin, TX – Around 200 people protested outside the Texas Capitol on Monday evening, September 21, to demand justice for a Venezuelan man, Wilber Rafael Garcés Pérez, who was shot by ICE and left in critical condition in Austin on Sunday.

After several rounds of energetic chants from the crowd, Selena Jurado of La Frontera Unida gave a speech. Jurado explained that within hours of the shooting, ICE took Garcés Pérez into custody, stating, “They denied his lawyer access. They denied his wife access to her husband. This is modern-day terrorism.”

Jurado continued, “La Frontera Unida raises these three demands. Primero, Wilber must be released from ICE custody immediately. Segundo, the ICE agent who shot him must be arrested and prosecuted. Tercero, there must be a real independent investigation. La Frontera Unida is not interested in another federal cover-up!”

Jesse Valdelamar, the emcee of the rally, said, “We will never support ‘reforming’ ICE into a more humane version of itself. As long as there exists a permanent body of second-class citizens, there will always be immigration enforcement, and there will always be la migra. This is why La Frontera Unida supports legalization for all as the real solution to the immigration question!”

Cynthia Treviño, another member of La Frontera Unida, spoke on the coming expiration of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Salvadorians. She said, “The expiration of TPS for Salvadoreños is setting the stage for hundreds of thousands of our raza to suffer the same fate as Wilber. As a Chicana, I understand this history intimately. My ancestors didn't cross the border, the border crossed us. The Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo promised my people property rights, language rights, cultural rights. What we got instead was centuries of violence and displacement.”

Treviño continued, “Terrorism is what awaits those who do not stand up and fight back. Today's immigrants, whether from El Salvador, Haiti, Nicaragua, or Venezuela, face the same terror. And just like my ancestors, they are fighting back.”

Sofie Gomez of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) urged, “When people migrate here, they are uprooting their whole lives out of desperation, but they live here in the states as second-class citizens, continuing to be exploited as cheap labor. This is the U.S. capitalist machine’s playbook. That’s why we need a new system, socialism, where we can actually address immigration rather than exploit those who immigrate here. Legalization for all is the way forward!”

#AustinTX #TX #ImmigrantRights #ICE #OppressedNationalities #TPS #Venezuela #Shooting #WilberRafaelGarcesPerez #Featured

“The successive attacks on Salvadorans and Haitians under TPS shows a systematic targeting of legal immigrants by nationality one by one,” said PDXCD member Cami Saunders.

Members of PDXCD held signs that read “ICE out” and “Defend TPS,” in addition to chanting “TPS! Lo merecen” and “Salvadorans are welcome here.” Despite a single hostile reaction, they were met with overwhelming honks and shouts of support. Curious pedestrians walked by and were educated on what TPS was.

“We have to stand up against these cruel terminations by the Trump administration.

Salvadorans are welcome here in Portland and everywhere!” stated a PDXCD member.

#PortlandOR #OR #ImmigrantRights #TPS #ElSalvador #PDXCD #Legalization4All

Tampa, FL – On September 13, about eight activists with Tampa Immigrants Rights Committee held a sign-waving and tabling event outside a local Salvadoran restaurant in response to Trump’s threats to not renew Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Salvadorans. It came in response to the call from Legalization for All, a network of grassroots groups across the country organized for immigrants’ rights.

The event included a barrio walk in response to ICE presence a few days ago in the neighborhood around Fletcher and Nebraska Avenues. The patrons at Nuestra Tienda, where the lunch rush was underway, were appreciative of Tampa IRC tabling outside, informing them of their rights, and keeping them updated on TPS’s status.

Also appreciative were the community members in the nearby neighborhood near where ICE was spotted, as folks enthusiastically took the know your rights material to defend themselves from ICE attacks, both for themselves and to distribute to their neighbors.

Attacks on and revocation of TPS is not new for the Trump administration. Since returning to power, Trump has revoked TPS for 13 countries, affecting over a million people in the U.S, including for Venezuela, Syria and Haiti.

TPS for Salvadorans remains in effect, as the deadline came and went without the Department of Homeland Security taking any action one way or the other. TPS for Salvadorans was the first TPS designation in 1990, coming after years of grassroots organizing after a civil war in El Salvador. It was renewed in 2001 after two devastating earthquakes made it impossible for people to return there.

The event reached dozens of people, some spoke about local police forces helping in immigration enforcement through the 287(g) agreement, which deputizes local police forces to act as immigration police, and which both Hillsborough Sheriff’s Department and Tampa Police Department have signed on to.

This event comes on the heels of a rally Tampa IRC held in response to the revocation of TPS for Haitians on July 27. Tampa is home to about 14,000 Haitians, and Tampa IRC will continue to educate the community of their rights in light of Trump’s threats to local immigrant communities through barrio walks and tabling.

#TampaFL #FL #ImmigrantRights #TPS #ElSalvador #Haiti #OppressedNationalities