AUSTIN, Texas — Dozens of University of Texas students protested against the Trump administration’s immigration policies on Wednesday.
They want UT Austin to become a “sanctuary campus” to protect students from the threat of deportation.
“We don’t think it’s right to take people from places of education and deport them and we think it’s inhumane,” said freshman Daniel Ramirez. “We want to demand that the university take action to prevent ICE from going on campus.”
Ramirez said he and other members of Students for Democratic Society worked for weeks to send this message to university leaders.
“A sanctuary campus, that is our goal – to become a sanctuary campus,” said Ramirez.
A call for sanctuary campuses became popular back in 2016 when President Donald Trump took office for his first term. During that time, Gov. Greg Abbott vowed to cut funding for any Texas school that declared itself a sanctuary campus.
Sophomore Genesis Britz is a daughter of immigrants.
“We have to wake up every morning. go to school, go to work and have our attention divided – one with fear in our hearts and the other with having to push through and take advantage of the opportunities our families fought so hard for us to have,” said Britz.
She worries about the impact ICE could have on campus.
“I don’t think people understand, ICE isn’t going to bring anything good,” said Britz. “They are going to scare and put in fear in not only our DACA recipient students but the people who work at this university.”
Students KVUE spoke with said they have heard that ICE has had enforcement operations on campus. In a statement, a UT spokesperson wrote, “We have no indication that ICE has been on our campus.”