FSU students stand up against ICE

By Christopher Sharpe and Justin Jordan

Tallahassee, FL- Students in Tallahassee marched to the Florida State University police headquarters on May 20 in a rally organized by Tallahassee Students for a Democratic Society to demand that Florida State University end its negotiations to enter into the 287(g) agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Entering the 287(g) agreement would allow university officers to participate in immigration enforcement, potentially aiding in the detention of students. Many other universities in Florida have already entered into the agreement, including the University of Florida, New College of Florida, and Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University.

“Who’s campus? Our campus!” students chanted as they marched from FSU’s Integration Statue to FSU Police Department headquarters.

Mariana Guimaraes, a member of Tallahassee SDS, explained how recent ICE activity had affected people: “With all the ICE raids that are going on here in Tallahassee and across the country a lot of people are just very fearful for themselves, for their families.”

Tallahassee has seen the impacts of Trump’s war on immigrants; over 100 have been detained in immigration raids that took place in Collegetown, a neighborhood near the FSU campus where many college students live.

The raids, which took place on May 29, targeted construction sites where many working-class immigrants endure unsafe work conditions, low pay and grueling heat, in the hopes of a better future.

A Tallahassee SDS posted in a statement before the event, “Trump’s emboldened ICE has arrested and detained migrants at workplaces, courthouses and even outside churches. Raids have struck fear into the heart of our communities, making thousands fearful of their daily routines.”

As concerns from immigrant students have continued to pile in the wake of a continued crackdown by President Trump on the status of many student visas, the university administration’s response has been muted, with school officials giving students non-answers or even ignoring direct questions.

Tallahassee SDS and other local groups will continue to fight for the rights of immigrants in the face of Trump’s continued attacks.

#TallahasseeFL #FL #StudentMovement #SDS #ImmigrantRights #ICE