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Anti-ICE protests at local schools have been part of a broader wave of action in San Antonio and across the U.S. following the fatal shootings of two Minneapolis residents by federal immigration agents in recent weeks. The victims were Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti.
The unlawful detainment of 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father Adrian Conejo Arias (who were held at the Dilley detention center, an hour south of San Antonio) exacerbated nationwide debate and demonstrations against ICE enforcement tactics.
Over the past few weeks students from local universities have increased their anti-ICE protests.
On Monday, Feb. 2, Trinity University and University of Incarnate Word students protested ICE’s actions at the intersection of Broadway and Hildebrand. A day later, UT San Antonio students walked out of class and marched around campus protesting ICE. The following Monday, Trinity students kept the momentum going by hosting a teach-in on campus.
A teach-in is an informal lecture on a public interest subject. Five students delivered speeches, sharing their connection to the cause and encouraging others to join.
During the speeches, students signed a petition demanding the administration take steps toward actively protecting the campus community from ICE by complying to a list of demands.
The demands stated: 1) The Trinity University police department will not collaborate with ICE. 2) ICE will not be allowed onto campus without a judicially signed warrant. 3) All staff members will receive training on what to do if they encounter ICE on campus. 4) Trinity will issue a statement to the campus population guaranteeing that the campus is a safe space for all people, regardless of immigration status. The organizers stated that they expected a response from the administration by Feb.13.
The first speaker was Julia Williams, a junior from Minneapolis majoring in International Studies and minoring in Strategic Communication and Philosophy.
Williams shared her experience as a Minnesotan. She said a friend of hers works with immigrant women who no longer show up to appointments or even leave their homes because they fear ICE will take them.
"When a whistle is blown in Minneapolis, people stand to attention, ready to take action. This is because it is a daily occurrence, seeing their neighbors ripped out of their cars, families being torn apart, children crying in the streets, being pepper sprayed or having tear gas thrown at them in their place of education,” Williams said.
The organizers of the teach-in provided the public with bags containing a whistle and a pamphlet with instructions on how to use the whistle to alert the community of ICE agents nearby. The back of the pamphlet contained the emergency response number used to report an ICE sighting or to get help due to someone being detained. Kay Cansino, a senior majoring in sociology told the crowd to save the number as a contact.
Cansino said that historically, across San Antonio, students have been the catalyst of human rights movements, and the organizers are employing those historic strategies at the teach-in.
“We think it's important because we are located in a majority Hispanic city that is currently being terrorized by ICE and we're trying to spread the information to students that have privilege, that have the abilities to help their community," Cansino said.
Following the teach-in, the students marched to the university president's office while singing “It’s Okay to Change Your Mind,” a song that Minnesota protestors have been singing when ICE agents are present in the protests. When they arrived at the president’s office, they handed the staff a petition signed by 200 students during the hour-long teach-in.
Freshman Luca Yaya signed the petition. He is from Katy, Texas and is majoring in urban studies with a minor in architectural studies. He said that although Trinity should be safe from ice because it is a private institution, he recognizes that ICE has previously entered private spaces without a judicial warrant.
“But the fact that this is a university with a large amount of wealth and power, it definitely helps to fully state that they do not want ICE on this campus, and the students do not want ICE on this campus,” Yaya said.
Kennedi Heim, a sophomore majoring in human communication, with a double minor in education and political science is from New Orleans. She helped organize the teach-in and led the walkout on Monday. In her speech, Heim drew attention to the history of her African American ancestors who are one of the first immigrants of the U.S. due to enslavement.
"Immigrants have made America into the nation it promotes itself to be," Heim said. "Under the Constitution, there is a human right to religion, education, speech, assembly, press and trial. All of these constitutional rights have been violated under this administration."
Heim said she hopes San Antonio universities stick together, possibly creating a union or coalition because staying silent allows ignorance to roam free.
Four hours after the signatures and demands were handed to the office of Trinity University President Vanessa Beasley, she emailed the campus community a statement titled “Community Update on Campus Safety and Legal Procedure.”
TPR asked Senior Director of News and Media Strategy Clinton Colmenares, if Beasley’s statement served as a response to the teach-in demands.
“The statement is a general update to campus. It addresses some of the concerns expressed today but it's intended to be broader than that,” Colmenares said.
