UF students Protest ICE Partnership, Administrators Lock Doors and Avoid Contact

The University of Florida (UF) branch of the Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA) held an anti-U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) protest at Turlington Plaza and Tigert Hall Wednesday. The protest drew a crowd of around 200 students.

This is a continuation of UF YDSA’s and the students' efforts to protest and cancel the UF Police Department's (UFPD) 287g agreement with ICE. The program delegates immigration enforcement authority to local law enforcement, a policy the student group argues makes campus unsafe for immigrant students. Previously, on April 9, they held a protest in support of deported Colombian UF student Felipe Zapata-Velásquez. Today, Zapata-Velásquez's name was once again chanted, and his deportation case was once again mentioned by speakers.

Before the start of the protest, while everyone was gathered, Turning Point UF set up a table right next to the protestors. However, they were soon told they did not have a permit to set up the table by the UFPD. Members of Turning Point UF then put the table away, but stayed there with a poster set up.

Protestors were advised by YDSA members not to engage with counter-protestors. Protestors followed their instructions, and there was minimal interaction with the counter-protestors.

Additionally, a pro-cannabis legalization protestor set up a table next to the protestors.

The crowd then marched from Turlington to Tigert Hall, chanting as they moved. Upon arrival, however, they found the administrative building’s doors locked, barring them from delivering a petition to university officials. This mirrored the outcome of a previous anti-ICE protest and was seen by organizers as a deliberate tactic of avoidance. 

Interim UF President Donald Landry was absent from the UF campus the day of the protest, according to a YDSA speaker. Organizers believed he was purposely ignoring the protestors and their demands. They noted, “Mr. Landry has specifically said he does not want any major news headlines or any major situations during his interim tenure. Well, too bad, you can’t propagate the systematic issues of UF and expect no one to react.” 

Outside Tigert Hall, a sign was set up which said “Indoor protesting prohibited." These signs were placed around campus after the 2022 anti-Ben Sasse protest in which students flooded the building and room where his press conference was held.

A central theme, repeated by multiple speakers, was the concept of campus safety. They fundamentally redefined the term, arguing that safety is compromised not just by crime, but by the presence of enforcement that targets a segment of the student body. "How can we call this a safe campus when our own police force has the authority to act as ICE agents?" asked one speaker.

The day’s political theater extended beyond the campus core. As the protest unfolded, a vehicle known to students as the “Trump truck” was adorned with a large flag supporting the president. This truck circled 13th Street three times. The third time, the crowd did not react much at all. Until a state highway patrolman pulled over the “Trump truck," the crowd cheered. 

Organizers vowed to continue their campaign, emphasizing that their inability to deliver the petition only strengthened their resolve. "They can lock the doors, but they can't lock out our voices," one speaker declared. "We will be back, again and again, until the 287g agreement is torn up and our campus is safe for every student."

The event underscored a campus deeply divided, not just on immigration policy, but on the very nature of protest and free speech, with administrative barriers, counter-protestors, and the specter of statewide political battles all converging on a single plaza. For YDSA, the day was a mix of frustration and mobilization, proving that while access to administrators remains blocked, their message continues to resonate with a growing number of students and some faculty.