About 60 Columbia students joined a nationwide walkout Friday, Feb. 13 to protest federal immigration enforcement, marching from the Student Center to Federal Plaza.
Honks from passing cars echoed as students chanted, “Hey hey, ho ho, ICE has got to go!”
As they crossed the street to enter Federal Plaza, welcoming cheers rang out among the other groups that had already begun filling the square. Hundreds of students stood underneath the bright red “Flamingo” sculpture as the organizers began calling individuals to the front to speak out against the recent actions of federal immigration enforcement tactics nationwide.
After about an hour, the group joined to walk three blocks on South Dearborn Street while shouting “Fuck ICE” and “Out from the shadows, into the streets” before arriving at Daley Plaza to hear from additional student speakers.
“I think that the system we’re living in needs to change,” said senior fashion design major Maeve Kelly, who coordinated with Dare to Struggle organizers. “What’s going on right now is really awful and nobody deserves to feel unsafe.”
Kelly, who partnered with the Columbia’s Latino Alliance, said she spent the week hanging flyers and working with student clubs to post about the walkout on social media.
“I think that we all need to come together and work to make a change within the system,” Kelly said. “It’s important that they have a spot where they can show how they feel and actively work to make the change that they want to see.”
Student-led walkouts opposing federal immigration enforcement have gained momentum in recent weeks, particularly in sanctuary cities like Chicago, where immigrant communities make up a significant portion of the population. High school students across the city and surrounding suburbs have staged similar demonstrations, often organizing through social media and local activist groups.
Organizers and students said the protests were driven by recent federal enforcement efforts, including expanded deportation operations and increased coordination between immigration authorities and local law enforcement. Critics argue such tactics create fear in immigrant communities, while federal officials maintain they are enforcing existing immigration laws.
“I am a child of immigrant parents and I’m also half Latina,” said first-year illustration major M Santillan. “It was really important to me to be a part of a cause I believe in.”
Santillan said she was surprised by the amount of people at the protest.
“If you believe in human rights and have basic respect for everyone around you, then you need to show up for your community,” they said. “One voice alone isn’t going to do it, showing up makes all the difference.”
For many youth in the city, years of aggressive federal immigration enforcement tactics like raids, detentions and deaths have shaped their worldview.
“Sometimes young people can be scared to get out there,” said Lydia Moscato, a sophomore interior architecture major. “But young voters are super important so we really have to get out there and say something so people know we exist.”
Moscato said she had been looking for a place to join the anti-ICE movement and that this gathering seemed like an “easy way to start.”
“If young people are so opposed to it that they’re walking out, you know it’s a big problem,” she said. “It’s really encouraging that there’s other people who feel the same way.”
Sophomore photography major Arianna Tabor said she was struck by the turnout, noting that campus events do not typically draw that many students.
“I think it’s really important for us to show that we’re giving up daily responsibilities because a lot of people’s lives are being changed by this kind of stuff and they don’t have a choice,” Tabor said. “We are choosing to walk out and show that we care, and that’s really important.”
Rodescu Hopkins II, a sophomore photography major, said that although ICE activity hasn’t affected him personally, he knows a lot of people who have been impacted and sees everything that is happening in the news.
“It’s important for us to do stuff like this because it’s going to continue down to the next generation,” Hopkins II said.
He explained that whether big or small, advocating for human rights is vital to creating a safer country for everyone.
“People made a conscious decision to come out and do something that’s not about them,” Hopkins II said. “It’s cool to see students and whoever else is out here make a statement and try to do something positive.”
Amelia Lutz, vice president of the Student Government Association and a junior film and television major, missed work to attend the walkout, which she noted was a luxury that some students may not have.
“Seeing Columbia, seeing us out here, it really reminds me how strong the Columbia community is and how strong our spirit is,” she said.
Lutz said that this opportunity to meet with other schools was unique as well, because it gives students the opportunity to intermingle and share opinions with different people.
“It’s really powerful knowing you’re not the only person who feels this way,” she said.
Kameron Clepper, a sophomore photography major, said participating in the walkout felt like a necessary response to what he sees as growing complacency.
“I’m a bit bothered by how lackadaisical people are about the world’s standing right now,” Clepper said, “So actually having a voice and doing something no matter how small or big it may seem is better than doing nothing.”
Copy Edited by Samantha Mosquera
Resumen en español
Casi 60 estudiantes de Columbia se unieron el viernes 13 de febrero para protestar contra la ley federal de inmigración, marchando desde el Student Center hasta la Federal Plaza para sumarse a cientos de jóvenes de otras escuelas de Chicago. Después, el grupo caminó tres cuadras por la calle South Dearborn.
“Me molesta un poco la indiferencia que muestra la gente con la situación actual del mundo”, dijo Kameron Clepper, un estudiante de segundo año de fotografía. “Así que, en realidad, tener una voz y hacer algo, sin importar lo pequeño o grande que parezca, es mejor que no hacer nada”.
Resumen en español por Anthony Hernandez
Editado por Brandon Anaya
