Dozens of Cal State Monterey Bay (CSUMB) students and faculty met at the Otter Student Union Friday to protest the actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) under the Trump administration.
Organized by a handful of CSUMB underclassmen through Sunrise Monterey Bay – the student-led local chapter of a national advocacy group – the protest opened with a march across campus that lasted about 45 minutes. Student activists led call-and-response chants that were taken up by attendees and cheering onlookers alike: “F*ck ICE!” “ICE out!” “Say their names: Renee Good!” Good was shot and killed by ICE agents in Minneapolis on Jan. 7, sparking national outcry. She was 37.
The conversation surrounding ICE is personal for many students at CSUMB, where around 46% of students were Latino as of 2023. “I am actually a daughter of immigrants. I am Mexican American, and this is really impacting my life,” said Brianna, a first-year Biology major at CSUMB. Given the subject of the protest, her last name has been omitted for the safety of her family. “It’s [scary for] my family, even my family who is legal…They’re scared sometimes to go out, just because ICE doesn’t care anymore. They’ll just detain you without a warrant, without anything.”
Unlike police and other law enforcement agencies that typically require orders signed by a judge, ICE has sweeping authority under current law to enter private property and execute arrests through the use of administrative warrants, internal documents that are themselves written and signed by ICE officers. This is one of several points that congressional Democrats are seeking to negotiate ahead of a Feb. 13 deadline for government funding, alongside stricter use-of-force standards and an end to racial profiling.
Eager, they say, to do their part in reining in the Trump administration, CSUMB students founded the Sunrise Movement’s local chapter last semester. Grace Sloca, a second-year environmental science major, was one of those students.
“Sunrise Movement is a student-led youth movement, and we are national…We have a bunch in L.A., we have some in the Bay Area, San Francisco, but they’re everywhere,” she said. “Originally, it was the climate crisis that we were aiming for, but now we took a shift toward authoritarianism, ‘cause you can’t fight the climate crisis with authoritarianism.”
CSUMB students weren’t alone in speaking out against ICE on Friday. They were joined by several faculty members, including marine science lecturer Robin Pelc. “I really want to support this movement. I want to support the students who want to see a more just community,” she said.
The modest yet passionate crowd, about 30-40 strong, began to disperse after about an hour. As a new – and as of yet, unofficial – organization on campus, Sunrise Monterey Bay’s ability to reach and rally would-be protesters is limited. Engagement from more established groups, students and faculty that share Sunrise’s goals may help grow their platform and support energized events.
“I think it’s very important what’s going on,” said Matthew Flinders, a first-year biology major. “I wish more people showed up, but this was still a big turnout.”
Going forward, Sunrise Monterey Bay plans to continue fighting against ICE and the Trump administration’s agenda. They’ll be joining local advocacy groups, including Monterey Palestine Solidarity and Unite Monterey County, for the “March 4 Democracy” on March 4. Planned to begin at popular Monterey park and protest destination Window on the Bay, more information on that event will be coming soon; interested students can follow Sunrise Monterey Bay on Instagram for updates or get involved directly by filling out the Sunrise Monterey Bay Interest Form.
Photos by Basil Fonseca and Elliot Rowe