Amidst growing tensions surrounding immigration policies, a student group at Arizona State University sparked significant protest by encouraging peers to report undocumented classmates to immigration authorities. The event, held by College Republicans United (CRU), was met with strong opposition, drawing over 700 demonstrators to ASU’s Tempe campus.
The controversial initiative organized by CRU aimed to involve students in reporting undocumented individuals to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. This prompted a large-scale protest led by Aliento at ASU, an immigrant advocacy organization. The rally, which took place near Hayden Library, was a direct response to what Aliento described as “harmful actions” against individuals based on their immigration status, particularly in an educational setting.
ASU, distancing itself from the actions of CRU, stated that such initiatives are “not in keeping with the principles which underlie our academic community.” The university emphasized its commitment to education and learning over actions designed to incite media attention and controversy.
More than 2,000 individuals, including students, organizations, and alumni, backed a letter from Aliento calling for protective measures for ASU students and urging the university to take action against CRU. The event was criticized for violating the Arizona Board of Regents Student Conduct Code.
During the protest, student leaders addressed the crowd, and Aliento distributed informational flyers to support undocumented students. Emily Sotelo Estrada, co-chair of Aliento, expressed the emotional impact of the event, stating, “It’s hard to see and hear people trying to incite division like this, especially when everyone around you, everyone you love is an immigrant.” She urged the community to respond with “hope, love and compassion” as a counter to divisive rhetoric.
Amidst the protest, the CRU table was overturned, and disputes arose over immigration policies. CRU president Isaiah Alvarado criticized current deportation efforts, stating, “We’re not even going to break a million deportations by the end of his four years. That’s unacceptable.” Alvarado emphasized the need for stricter immigration enforcement, aligning with the broader movement under the Trump administration.
Additional support for the rally came from individuals such as Zakir Siddiqi of the Arizona Green Party, who expressed concern over CRU’s message. Siddiqi highlighted the larger community’s resistance to divisive actions, stating, “It’s really reassuring and reaffirming to see this is not where we’re going as a community because there’s about three or four people that are trying to play up fears for deportation, and we have about 1,000 people here in response.”
The protest concluded at around 10:30 a.m., with widespread social media condemnation from various public figures, student groups, and a campus Republican organization. The Arizona House of Democrats criticized the event for fostering “an atmosphere of intimidation and terror” and called for an investigation into CRU’s actions, disciplinary measures, and the removal of its recognition as a student organization.
