Students take a stand: Keeping ICE out of Towson University

By Chloe Wilson

Since Donald Trump was elected to office, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have gone after hundreds of family’s country wide, all in response to Trumps “Project 2025”, a plan to reshape the United States Federal Government, including the goal of deporting the nearly 50 million immigrants living within the country’s borders. 

From car dealerships, homes, workplaces, and even schools, ICE has found even the smallest cracks to slip through in hopes of ripping immigrants away from their families, their homes, their lives. Narrow research is done, as ICE was just told by the Supreme Court that they can detain people they deem to be immigrants through how they look and even speak (aka, use racial profiling). One would believe that a public university that is home to many international students, students of immigrants, or even immigrant students, would fight to protect them, as they pay and work for their education, benefitting the University as much as it benefits themselves. But that is not the case. 

Towson University has allowed ICE to sign up for tabling at the semesterly Career Fair, in spite of the spiraling mass deportations that’ve consumed the media for the past eight months. Spring Semester of 2025, students’ university wide signed the petition ignited by the YDS (Young Democratic Socialist Association), demanding the university to dismiss ICE from being in attendance. The petition received hundreds of signatures, forcing immigration enforcement to back out of the fair.

Though, the fight didn’t end there. After one long summer break, students returned to their home away from home, TU, only to find that ice; now being covered with label “Homeland Security” was invited back to attend the Fall 2025 Career Fair. Fear filled the campus, students outraged by the lack of coherence higher ups had when being told their students felt unsafe by the presence of “Homeland Security.” 

TU scholars did not give up; they did not back down and did not accept the utter complicity their university has with an immorally dangerous organization. Petitions were signed, emails were sent, and protests were organized. With weeks of battle, student efforts took the podium, and ICE was once again forced to withdraw from the career fair. 

Though this win has been accepted, we must refuse to wallow in short term protection and, instead, plan for any future disruptions. The university has now proven- twice- that they are willing to endanger students for a public label- what’s to say they won’t allow them to schedule their presence once more? 

There is no easy solution to the problem. We students thought getting answers from the financial aid office was hard; but the fight for basic protection trumps that (yes- pun intended). 

Here is how you can protect yourself, and others, from any future ICE presence:

• Sign the petitions. It takes less than five minutes. 
• Know your rights. The right to stay silent, the right to not disclose any personal information (i.e. home/dorm address) to any unrecognized authority or persons. 
• Never disclose another person’s information, such as citizenship status
• Create safety plans. Set 1 or more emergency contacts in case of interaction.
• Verify correct warrants. Ask to see it, analyze it, and question who administered the document. 

Most importantly, stay informed. Explore local news and media sources to know if ice is nearing your location. 

Just because you are not at risk, doesn’t mean others aren’t. Protect yourself, Protect the students, and Melt the ICE. 

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