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(Andrew T. Yarbrough / Fourth Estate)

BY ISABELLA PEARLSTEIN, STAFF WRITER

George Mason students gathered in Wilkins Plaza on Wednesday, Feb. 4, to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) actions across the country and show opposition to the agency’s potential involvement in the upcoming career fair. The protest was organized by Democrats at Mason.

Students began gathering between Horizon Hall and the Johnson Center around 4 p.m. One student, freshman Ryan Emrich, held a sign that read, “I wish the ICE would hurry up and [expletive] melt.”

“I’m here protesting because the things that have been happening around the country have been just completely unconscionable and terrible,” Emrich said. “There have been deaths; there have been families broken apart. People [are] put in super inhumane conditions and that should not be allowed to continue.” 

Mylie Dillion, a freshman Government and International Politics major, echoed the same idea. 

“What’s happening in our country right now is inhumane… no one is illegal on stolen land, and we should not just be kidnapping people off the streets.” 

“I’m here because my brother-in-law is an immigrant, and I’m here just for the immigrant community, not just at Mason, but in this country,” Dillion said.

As the protest continued, individuals handed out signs that read “Abolish ICE.” 

“We should [not] fund anything that is essentially putting bounties on people’s heads,” freshman Christos Pethokoukis, a Theater major, said. “I think we should not be funding anything that is allowing domestic terrorists to terrorize anyone in America, especially when they’re actively shooting people.” 

As the protest continued, more students shared what they hoped to get out of the demonstration. 

“I think that [the federal government needs] to abolish ICE, restructure DHS and fully demilitarize customs and border patrol,” said sophomore Gabrielle Stutzer, a Government and International Politics major.

History major Alejandro Chavez said he believes funding for ICE should be reduced.

“I don’t agree at all that ICE should have as much funding as it’s currently gotten,” he said. “In fact, it’s taken away from a lot of other agencies. With the fact that ICE gets most of the funding and the way that they operate, it’s just not benefiting anyone right now.” 

On Feb. 3, a $1 trillion government spending bill was passed in the United States Senate and House. The Department of Homeland Security’s funding will continue through Feb. 13. Before the upcoming pause in funding, DHS was operating on an $85 billion budget. 

(Andrew T. Yarbrough / Fourth Estate)

Just eight minutes into the protest, Keely Calloway, president of the GMU Dems, addressed the protestors. 

“We are trying to make sure that GMU hears our voices and knows what we stand for and what the GMU students stand for,” she said. “We do not want DHS agents of any kind, CBP, ICE on campus. That includes career fairs.” 

ICE was one of the organizations present at the Spring 2025 career fair.

“ICE makes our communities unsafe. ICE makes every community unsafe,” Calloway continued. “It is unacceptable to have any ICE presence here on campus, and that is what we are here to show.” 

After her speech, Calloway and other students led protestors in many chants, including:

“No justice! No peace! No ICE in our streets!” 

“Say it loud! Say it clear! Get ICE outta here!” 

“iEl pueblo unido jamás será vencido!” (The people united will never be defeated!) 

Throughout the protest, several students addressed the protestors. 

“There’s no such thing as illegal immigrants on stolen land … We are here to talk. We want no defense contractors on campus. We want no ICE on campus,” a student speaker said.

Gabriel Cesar Muñoz Orellana, president of the Hispanic Latine Leadership Alliance, further addressed the crowd. 

“Why should the federal government, why should the Supreme Court say that skin color can be used as a form of prejudice? Why should we be targeted for something that we’re just born with?” he said.

Near the end of the protest, a student led the assembled crowd in song: “Pronto, muy pronto, cambiaremos este mundo. Soon, very soon, we are gonna change the world.”

(Isabella Pearlstein / Fourth Estate)

Freshman Stacy Reyes, an Elementary Education major, was moved to tears by the protest. 

“My dad’s an immigrant, and I come from a Latin family, so I think about that now. I worry about that,” she said. “It makes me feel happy to see there’s people of different races and different backgrounds here standing up for my family and people back home. I feel a little less alone.”