Rallying against deportation

Campus community members gathered for the Protest Against Deportation Thursday on the Edinburg campus.

The rally, co-organized by the Rio Grande Valley Young Democratic Socialists of America and Students for Justice in Palestine, focused on a petition for UTRGV to declare itself a sanctuary campus, which would ensure that the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement could not detain students without a warrant.

Attendees also protested against Texas House Bill 160, which relates to “the enrollment, including resident status and tuition rates, of certain persons, including persons not authorized to be present in the United States.”

The bill was filed on Nov. 12, 2024, and introduced Feb. 27 in the state legislature during the 2025 legislative session.

Mariam, a computer science junior and head of the SJP, emphasized the importance of the protest.

“The goal of this rally is to raise awareness for our petition to make this university a sanctuary campus,” Mariam said. “That would mean ICE agents would not be able to come on campus and detain students without a warrant.”

She said that students, such as Mahmoud Khalil have been detained through university cooperation with ICE, often without proper identification or legal justification.

Some protesters expressed concerns over reports of ICE agents appearing on campuses in plain clothes and detaining students without notice. 

Mariam said the issue is especially pressing at a university that, according to her, prides itself on being 97% Hispanic. 

“So many people here are at risk,” she said. “We want the school to protect us, not use us for diversity statistics while failing to ensure our safety.”

Samantha Salcedo, an economics and finance junior, said the bill is particularly harmful. 

“This bill is effectively stripping away students’ rights to an education,” Salcedo said. “Many students rely on in-state tuition to afford college and taking that away creates even more barriers for immigrant communities who are already facing significant challenges.”

She said she attended the event after hearing the commotion on campus and expressed support for the movement. 

“Immigrants are the backbone of this country, but they aren’t valued as much as they should be,” Salcedo said. “It’s inspiring to see students of all backgrounds—Hispanic, Black, white—coming together to fight for this cause.”

Mariam said SJP has only organized peaceful protests and educational events.

“But now, with executive orders and legislative changes targeting us, we are at greater risk than ever,” she said. “We need the university to stand with us.”

Students at the protest said they would keep pushing for change.

“We will keep fighting because this affects all of us, whether people realize it or not,” Salcedo said.