Student Rally Calls for Stronger Protections from ICE

A collection of over 10 student organizations led a march through campus and rallied in Old Main Quad in support of immigrant rights and to call for SUNY New Paltz to declare itself a sanctuary campus. 

The rally, held on March 26 at 12 p.m., was co-sponsored by various activist clubs on campus, including the SUNY New Paltz chapters of Justice is Global, Democracy Matters and For The Many. Other clubs, including The New Paltz Zine Collective, Rugby Team, Future Teachers of Color, LatinX, Human Services, ASL club and In Living Color also co-sponsored the action.  

According to a collaborative Instagram post made by six of the organizing clubs, the demonstrators had three demands directed toward the university specifically.  

The first was for the SUNY New Paltz University Police Department to explicitly state that it will not allow ICE on campus without a warrant signed by a judge. The second demand was a call for SUNY New Paltz to declare itself a sanctuary campus.  

According to a guide distributed by Immigrants Rising, an organization that provides information and resources to undocumented people, the key components of a sanctuary campus are enacting university policies that include “limiting the sharing of student information with federal immigration authorities, restricting immigration agents’ access to campuses, prohibiting campus security from collaborating with federal immigration authorities for the purposes of enforcement and providing resources and information for immigrant students and their families.” 

The third demand was an increase in the “promotion and creation of know-your-rights workshops, freedom of speech and safe spaces for immigrants.” Know-your-rights workshops are educational events that inform immigrants on their rights and legal obligations when interacting with law enforcement and ICE. According to Justice Power, an organization that works with immigrant advocates to document legal empowerment strategies for immigrants, when utilized correctly, know-your-rights workshops “empower immigrants to defend their rights, teach them how to advocate for themselves without feeling dependent on attorneys, create safety plans, offer essential information on how and when to seek immigration services, provide answers to name what they know is wrong and inspire them to educate their peers.” 

The march started with a walkout. Approximately 80 students were organized between the Humanities Building and Wooster Hall. The student organizers handed out informational zines and cards detailing the rights students have when interacting with ICE and briefed the protestors on how to respond if ICE came to the event. From there, they marched towards Parker Quad. 

Protestors marched in a loop through the quad and proceeded to Old Main Quad. As they walked, the groups waved signs and chanted, “No hate, no fear, refugees are welcome here,” among other phrases related to immigration in both English and Spanish.  

Once on Old Main Quad, students from the various clubs gave speeches sharing their thoughts and feelings on why they were marching and future action they want to see the university take.  

Some shared stories of their families coming to America and others spoke about their feelings under the current federal administration. Others shared their frustrations with how the university is responding to federal policies around immigration.  

Other students rallied against fascism, both on the federal level and against the fascist tactics they claim are being used by the administration to suppress student voices. These include surveillance and the suppression of student political expression.  

In addition to this, some protestors called for collective action against fascism, demanding the protection of human rights and for the liberation of all peoples, including Palestinians. 

Members of the collaborating clubs also shared information about future events and passed around petitions, brought by For The Many, which will be used to leverage local officials into meeting with the organization.  

After a series of student speeches, Dr. Adolfo Béjar Lara, an assistant professor in the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures delivered a speech commending the students for their activism and encouraging them to keep fighting. 

“What us as faculty have to do is listen to you, follow your lead and support you in any way we can, and we’re going to continue doing that,” Béjar Lara said. “We’re going to continue fighting, we’re going to continue struggling and we’re going to fight against these arbitrary designations that have been imposed on us. The difference between immigrant, refugee, citizen, that’s arbitrary.” 

Béjar Lara expanded on his thoughts, commending the clubs for coming together and bringing awareness to how federal immigration policies are impacting New Paltz students. “I think that [the clubs] organizing collectively in solidarity across different organizations to demonstrate that this is an important issue that they want to talk about, that they want the administration to acknowledge is really, really important.” He continued, “I’m humbled by their drive. I’m humbled by their commitment to social justice.” 

An attendee of the protest, Lucas Jackson Peterka, stated that going forward, he wants to see the administration engage with the student body about the fears they have over federal immigration enforcement. “The thing that’s still on my mind is the lack of engagement from administration on this issue, the rhetorical avoidance of it, the lack of assurances, protections or any sort of political stance that protects people,” he said.  

Peterka called for greater communication between the school and the student body, desiring the administration to be upfront with its policies, what it will enforce and what it can do to address student concerns. “If administration could sit down and talk honestly with people, that would be awesome,” he said. “But it feels like a lot of closed doors. It feels like a lot of closed ears, and not really honest engagement with students or faculty who want to hear their voices heard.” 

Peterka said, without guidance and education from administration, students may not be aware of various tactics that ICE uses. “ICE has been known to fake warrants, have them not signed by judges,” he said. “This is deceptive, and without administration clearly communicating this to everyone, there’s a real possibility that these deceptive tactics work.” 

“[The administration] indicated that this situation is not open to dialogue,” Béjar Lara said. “I haven’t felt like the administration is listening to student’s concerns and I think that is very disappointing.”