On Friday Feb. 14, 2025, dozens of students protested the mass deportations under the Trump administration.
Organizers Gia Ramirez and Naiya Dixon started an Instagram page titled justice@iwu after participating in protests on the ISU campus in the days prior.
The Trump administration’s Border Czar Tom Homan said in the Washington Post that the Midwest would be “ground zero” for mass deportation of undocumented immigrants, primarily those from South America.
“We are speaking for a community that can’t speak out of fear,” Dixon said. “We’re here to speak on behalf of immigrant families that are afraid to leave their homes for fear of never coming home.”
Students gathered in front of Hansen Student Center at 11 a.m. with posters, flags of Hispanic countries and papers detailing one’s rights when approached by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials.
While marching around the perimeter and through campus, students chanted “No hate, no fear, immigrants are welcome here,” “Say it once, say it twice, we will not put up with ICE” and “From Palestine to Mexico, these walls have got to go.”
“This cause is very important to me because I come from a beautiful immigrant household,” Ramirez said. “They’re hard working people, and I have them to thank for pursuing my education.
After students marched, they opened up the floor for students to speak about their experience on the quad, with many telling the group about feeling alone in their anxieties about mass deportations.
“I’m using my voice to speak for my family. I felt lost and thought that nobody could relate to me, and I don’t want others to feel that way,” Ramirez said. “We know that we are a small campus, but demonstrating helps students understand what’s happening in our country.”
Freshman Yvett Hernandez is from Bloomington, and said that the local Latino community is worried about ICE going into homes and stores.
“They are very scared right now, but the fact that this many people are speaking out means so much to me,” she said.
Dr. Adriana Ponce, Associate Professor of Music joined students on the quad in support of the demonstration. A Venezuela native, Dr. Ponce announced that she was proud to be Latina.
“I will be here for any student that feels threatened on this campus,” she said.
One student protester thought IWU RSOs should have been more involved in organizing this demonstration. Senior Jesus Rios-Narciso said he was disappointed there wasn’t more campus involvement. “Special interest RSOs should be involved with messages of comfort and support for their community, and I don’t agree with IWU’s silence,” he said.
“There were ICE officials in Mexican grocery stores in town, and I think that we should be doing what we can to let people know their rights when ICE approaches them,” Rios-Narciso said.
Ramirez and Dixon plan to organize workshops in partnership with ISU student groups and grassroots movements to help locals know their rights, as well as support groups for those affected by mass deportations.
“Immigration is not a crime and immigrants are not criminals,” Ramirez said.