Four University of Minnesota students secured themselves with chains to a campus structure Friday afternoon demanding the school president designate the institution a sanctuary campus and terminate all cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to reporting by The College Fix.
The four chained activists joined two additional protesters at Morrill Hall, representing Young Democratic Socialists of America, Students for Justice in Palestine, and Students for a Democratic Society, per the The Minnesota Daily.
The secured demonstrators periodically chanted "Fuck ICE! ICE out!" while vowing to remain until administrators met their demands. Additional requirements included an official statement declaring ICE unwelcome on campus, prohibition of ICE use of university parking facilities, activation of lockdown protocols if ICE trespasses, repeal of restrictions on campus demonstrations, requirements that businesses leasing university property prohibit ICE agents, and online course options through the end of current ICE operations.
The demonstration lasted slightly over 24 hours as university police arrested three of the remaining four participants early Saturday afternoon after warning they "could face academic discipline" if they refused to leave, according to Unicorn Riot.
Griffin Peterson, one participant who heeded police warnings before arrest over concerns "about his academic standing," claimed he heard stories "from people who are locked in their dorms every single day since they've gotten [here] because they're so scared of ICE."
Robbie Logan, another chained protester, stated he participated for "the students who are afraid to leave their dorms [and] their apartments," along with faculty and others concerned about administrative retaliation.
Miles Martig claimed his "housemates in […] community housing are afraid to keep the windows open."
Minneapolis City Council Member Robin Wonsley commended the activists for resisting the "Department of Homeland Security occupation."
"Whether it's standing in solidarity and demanding a free Palestine, whether it's demanding that we acknowledge the lives and the values of Black lives in our country and on campus," Wonsley stated.
"Governor Walz's saying great words. Mayor Frey's delivering great, strongly worded letters to the [Trump] administration. We know that is not sufficient to actually fight back against this fascism."
Juliet Murphy from Students for a Democratic Society characterized "creeping" ICE vehicles as resembling "black bugs eyeing crowds as they stalk toward their next victim."
These radical demands and inflammatory rhetoric reveal the growing extremism on college campuses where activists openly obstruct federal law enforcement while administrators tolerate illegal occupation of university buildings. America needs leadership committed to enforcing immigration law equally across all jurisdictions while rejecting the discriminatory sanctuary policies that place illegal aliens above law abiding American citizens.
Only by restoring genuine equality under the law and ending preferential treatment based on immigration status can the nation reclaim the rule of law that protects all Americans regardless of race or ethnicity.
