College Republicans United, a conservative student group with ties to white supremacists, set up a table at Arizona State University's Tempe campus Friday. Their goal — encourage students to report undocumented classmates to federal immigration authorities.
In response, over 700 protesters marched this Friday near Hayden Library against the event.
CRU at ASU orchestrated the event that was meant to urge students to report their peers for deportation to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The solidarity rally was organized on Thursday by Aliento at ASU in response to the “harmful actions taken against individuals based on their immigration status, especially in a university.”
In a statement to KJZZ, ASU said the College Republicans United’s actions are "not in keeping with the principles which underlie our academic community. We are here to teach and learn — not to engage in self-aggrandizing conduct meant solely to generate as much media attention and controversy as possible."
Aliento said the event organized by CRU at ASU is misconduct of the Arizona Board of Regents Student Conduct Code. Over 2,000 students, organizations and alums signed an Aliento letter demanding safety for ASU students and action from the university.
When CRU finished setting up their table, the rally settled near the library’s entrance. Student organizers spoke about the rally’s turnout and did a “unity clap” as a send-off for the collective. Aliento handed out flyers with information for how to support undocumented students.
The group’s action attracted hundreds of protesters and immigrant supporters, including ASU student Emily Sotelo Estrada. She’s the co-chair of Aliento, an immigrant advocacy group.
“It's hard to see and hear people trying to incite division like this, especially when everyone around you, everyone you love is an immigrant,“ she said.
“I hope, during this time, everyone remembers to lead with hope, love and compassion,” Sotelo Estrada added. “The only way to fight hate and anger and harmful rhetoric is to show some love.”
As student leaders spoke to the crowd of marchers, the CRU at ASU table was flipped over at 10:04 a.m. CRU organizers argued with students regarding immigration policy.
“We're not even going to break a million deportations by the end of his four years,” said Isaiah Alvarado, an ASU student and president of the CRU at ASU tabling. “That's unacceptable.”
Alvarado said he believes the current movement by the Trump administration to have stricter immigration policies is not enough, and his student organization needs to assist ICE to ensure they reach their goal. He said the U.S. should continue to enforce its border policy and, if it doesn’t, it “shows we’re not being serious.”
Sandy Wallach, 67, also attended the event and argued with Alvarado while he and his organization was tabling.
“I'm sorry if I got overly emotional, but I don't know how anyone actually can't be,” Wallach said. “I feel like our whole democracy is at risk.”
Zakir Siddiqi, a co-chair of the Arizona Green Party, marched with students and was there to support the rally. He said when he saw the email from CRU at ASU, he was concerned and unsettled by its message.
“It's really reassuring and reaffirming to see this is not where we're going as a community because there's about three or four people that are trying to play up fears for deportation, and we have about 1,000 people here in response to make sure they feel like there's a resistance,” Siddiqi said.
Siddiqi said he hopes the university sees the reaction from the student body and learns to avoid allowing promotion of messages like CRU’s on campus.
“I hope that their impact is left on that little table,” Siddiqui said.
The crowd dispersed at around 10:30 a.m.
Several public figures, student organizations and a Republican group on campus denounced the tabling via social media.
The Arizona House of Democrats released a statement Friday, saying the event creates “an atmosphere of intimidation and terror for anyone who does not fit the ‘Anglo-American look.'"
The statement asks the university to investigate CRU’s behavior within the college, discipline all students affiliated with the tabling’s message this Friday, remove CRU at ASU from university as a recognized student organization and disseminate to the student body the actions ASU will take to ensure it is a safe space for students.
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