(News) Rowan SJP Holds Anti-Ice Protest In The Wake of Minnesota Violence
(by: Michael Bautista & Nick DiCicco)
One of the protesters giving a speech at the Owl Statue. Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. Glassboro, N.J. (Photographer: Aidan Vanhoof)
Rowan University students rallied for nearly three hours this past week against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), calling the agencies’ recent presence and recruitment efforts on campus harmful and “tone deaf” amid heightened immigration enforcement nationwide.
The demonstration, held on Feb. 5, was organized by Rowan Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), the Rowan chapter for Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA), and Mi Casa Woodbury. Amid the frigid temperatures, over 100 members of the campus community gathered at the Owl statue located behind Savitz Hall and the Chamberlain Student Centers.
“The idea for the protest started after the invasion of Venezuela, because we think it is very clear that it’s obviously not about human rights, it’s not about the cartels, it’s about power, imperialism, and oil. So the main messaging that we had come up with was end imperialism, down with big oil, end petro-imperialism, Latin American sovereignty,” said a leading member of SJP. “So those were some of the main ones. And then, of course, things have been really, really ramped up with ICE. Like that is what the student body cares about, that’s what our members care about.”
Demonstrators held signs that read “No one is illegal on stolen land”, “Unmask ICE,” and “R.U. ok with this?”, and chanted phrases like “Murder is not order,” “No justice, no peace, no ICE in our streets,” and “Kristi Noem [Secretary of Department of Homeland Security] has got to go.”
The rally also featured personal stories that were shared, speeches, and poems from well-known political activists.
“The power you possess does not begin or end at the ballot box; it begins on your feet. You have rights, and I beg you so desperately to use them,” said Jimmy Flocco, the chair of Rowan YDSA. “The God-given rights you are endowed with are yours to keep, and let it be so that you use them to love thy neighbor.”
The Dean of Students, Kevin Koett, Rowan police, and members of Rowan University’s Resource, Engagement, and Activity Leadership (REAL) team were at the protest, ensuring the environment was safe and controlled. Joe Lizza, senior director at the student center, said that a member of SJP completed the Student Activism, Protest, or March form, which informs the university of such protests and allows them to ensure safety measures and appropriate resources are at the demonstration.
“The goal is to help students plan a safe, successful event that follows university policies while supporting free expression,” Lizza said. “Support is focused on the safety and security of participants and the campus community, not the message or viewpoint of the event.”
The rally follows a similar one from the previous week, where Rowan faculty, staff, and students joined nationwide demonstrations. Held on Friday, Jan. 30, the rally was organized by members of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT)Local 2373 at Rowan University, which is an autonomous, chartered union affiliate of the AFT who represent specific bargaining units on behalf of teachers, school staff, healthcare, and public employees nationally.
The protests on campus take place against the backdrop of Operation Metro Surge, a wide-ranging immigration enforcement initiative run by DHS, where just last month, three American citizens by the names of Alex Pretti, Renee Nicole Good, and Keith Porter Jr. were shot by federal agents in separate incidents.
Thursday’s rally also comes on the heels of unrest on campus that is tied to a recent DHS-related presence on campus, where Rowan Students for Justice for Palestine were handing out flyers for an upcoming event. However, according to students, members of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) had been inside the Business Hall for a recruitment event, but called the building manager to have the students opposing their presence escorted out of the building. While word of their presence spread rapidly across social media, there was no ICE-related activity that had taken place on campus.
Though there hasn’t been any ICE-related activity on campus, tensions are running high across the state of New Jersey, as an ICE-related shooting occurred in Roxbury Township. According to DHS officials, the incident occurred after a vehicle attempted to ram into law enforcement during an immigration arrest on Tuesday, Feb. 10. ICE officers shot the tires of the vehicle, and a spokesperson for DHS said ICE was in the area conducting the targeted arrest of Jesus Fabian Lopez-Banegas, “a criminal illegal alien from Honduras” who officials claim has a criminal history of allegedly trafficking drugs and driving under the influence.
“Recent events have shown us that we are all one world, and we are all citizens of this world. Being responsible global citizens means contributing in the ways available to us,” said Cristin Kastner Farney, an adjunct professor within the Department of Public Relations and Advertising at Rowan University.
Farney believes that rallies like the one she attended, hosted by Rowan SJP, aren’t to counter someone who feels differently but rather to show solidarity and expression.
As feelings remain mixed about the presence of agencies under DHS on campus, students are continuing to challenge the way colleges engage with the federal government. Many across campus are arguing that the recent actions taken by Rowan University are tone-deaf and invite a climate of surveillance.
The Whit has reached out to university officials seeking a response, but has still declined to comment.
