An organizer speaks during a protest against immigration enforcement and ICE at Tempe Beach Park on Jan. 30, 2026. Protesters marched through downtown Tempe, from ASU's Old Main to the park.
Over 1,000 people gathered on the Arizona State University campus in Tempe on Friday as part of a coordinated nationwide protest against ICE and recent immigration enforcement.
Walkouts, strikes and other demonstrations took place throughout the country in response to aggressive and increasingly violent enforcement activities, particularly in Minneapolis, where two U.S. citizens were killed in the streets this month by federal agents.
Protesters across the U.S. are calling for “no work, no school, no shopping” as part of a nationwide strike on Friday to oppose the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.
Earlier this week, federal officials executed a series of raids on Zipps Sports Grill locations throughout the Valley.
“If we have a tyrannical government, we have to stand up against that,” said Jason Sanders, a local veteran who attended the ASU protest. “We are getting gunned down in the street by masked agents.”
Sanders said he was willing to fight for his country, and “this is exactly what we should be doing.“
The protesters started at Old Main — the oldest building on campus, and a frequent gathering point for demonstrations — before walking down University Drive and Mill Avenue to Tempe Beach Park.
The crowd then returned to the ASU campus, growing in size, before ending at the Hayden Library.
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Demonstrators gather on Hayden Lawn during a protest against immigration enforcement and ICE at Arizona State University's Tempe campus on Jan. 30, 2026.
Connor Greenwall / KJZZ
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A protest against immigration enforcement and ICE at Arizona State University's Tempe campus on Jan. 30, 2026.
Tim Agne / KJZZ
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Protesters against immigration enforcement and ICE at the University of Arizona in Tucson on Jan. 30, 2026.
Alisa Reznick / KJZZ
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Students protest immigration enforcement and ICE near Interstate 17 and Beardsley Road in Phoenix.
Sky Schaudt / KJZZ
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A protest against immigration enforcement and ICE at Arizona State University's Tempe campus on Jan. 30, 2026.
Tim Agne / KJZZ
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A protest against immigration enforcement and ICE at Arizona State University's Tempe campus on Jan. 30, 2026.
Tim Agne / KJZZ
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Student organizer Hayden Nguyen speaks at a protest against immigration enforcement and ICE at Arizona State University's Tempe campus on Jan. 30, 2026.
Tim Agne / KJZZ
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Barricades and private security were present on Old Main Lawn at Arizona State University's Tempe campus during a protest against ICE and immigration enforcement on Jan. 30, 2026.
Tim Agne / KJZZ
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A protest against immigration enforcement and ICE at Arizona State University's Tempe campus on Jan. 30, 2026.
Tim Agne / KJZZ
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A protest against immigration enforcement and ICE at Arizona State University's Tempe campus on Jan. 30, 2026.
Tim Agne / KJZZ
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A protest against immigration enforcement and ICE at Arizona State University's Tempe campus on Jan. 30, 2026.
Tim Agne / KJZZ
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Demonstrators gather around the Old Main lawn for a protest against immigration enforcement and ICE at Arizona State University's Tempe campus on Jan. 30, 2026.
Tim Agne / KJZZ
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An organizer leads a chant during a protest against immigration enforcement and ICE at Arizona State University's Tempe campus on Jan. 30, 2026.
Tim Agne / KJZZ
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An organizer speaks during a protest against immigration enforcement and ICE at Arizona State University's Tempe campus on Jan. 30, 2026.
Tim Agne / KJZZ
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An hospitality worker discusses Unite Here Local 11's decision to authorize a strike against food services vendor Aramark during a protest at Arizona State University's Tempe campus on Jan. 30, 2026.
Tim Agne / KJZZ
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An organizer speaks during a protest against immigration enforcement and ICE at Tempe Beach Park on Jan. 30, 2026. Protesters marched through downtown Tempe, from ASU's Old Main to the park.
Tim Agne / KJZZ
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An organizer speaks during a protest against immigration enforcement and ICE at Tempe Beach Park on Jan. 30, 2026. Protesters marched through downtown Tempe, from ASU's Old Main to the park.
Tim Agne / KJZZ
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An organizer speaks during a protest against immigration enforcement and ICE at Tempe Beach Park on Jan. 30, 2026. Protesters marched through downtown Tempe, from ASU's Old Main to the park.
Tim Agne / KJZZ
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Organizer Hayden Nguyen speaks during a protest against immigration enforcement and ICE at Tempe Beach Park on Jan. 30, 2026.
Tim Agne / KJZZ
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Demonstrators gather on Hayden Lawn during a protest against immigration enforcement and ICE on Jan. 30, 2026. Protesters marched through downtown Tempe from ASU's Old Main to Tempe Beach Park and then back to campus.
Tim Agne / KJZZ
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Protesters against immigration enforcement and ICE at the University of Arizona in Tucson on Jan. 30, 2026.
Alisa Reznick / KJZZ
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Protesters against immigration enforcement and ICE at the University of Arizona in Tucson on Jan. 30, 2026.
Alisa Reznick / KJZZ
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Protesters against immigration enforcement and ICE at the University of Arizona in Tucson on Jan. 30, 2026.
Alisa Reznick / KJZZ
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Joshua and TIffany Kassel protest against ICE in Tucson on Jan. 30, 2026.
Alisa Reznick / KJZZ
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Demonstrators march north on Mill Avenue during a protest against immigration enforcement and ICE that began at Arizona State University's Tempe campus on Jan. 30, 2026.
Connor Greenwall / KJZZ
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Demonstrators march on Mill Avenue during a protest against immigration enforcement and ICE that began at Arizona State University's Tempe campus on Jan. 30, 2026.
Connor Greenwall / KJZZ
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Demonstrators gather on Hayden Lawn during a protest against immigration enforcement and ICE at Arizona State University's Tempe campus on Jan. 30, 2026.
Connor Greenwall / KJZZ
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Demonstrators march north on Mill Avenue during a protest against immigration enforcement and ICE that began at Arizona State University's Tempe campus on Jan. 30, 2026.
Connor Greenwall / KJZZ
Tempe police told the protesters it was unlawful to be in the street and threatened to arrest anyone not on the sidewalk. However, protesters remained in the street while Tempe police managed traffic.
No arrests were made, Tempe police said.
“We are the lifeblood of this university, of this country, and we will shut it down,” said Hayden Nguyen, one of the organizers of the ASU protest.
Before the gathering, ASU Police announced online that the Old Main lawn would be closed to protesters and instructed them to meet on the Student Services lawn on the south side of campus.
Despite the fencing, hundreds of students and faculty members gathered around the barricades.
During the protest, ASU administrators were seen talking to the organizers. According to Nguyen, during this interaction, the administration told them the protest was unlawful and threatened to arrest everybody in the crowd.
Tim Agne
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KJZZ
Demonstrators gather around the Old Main lawn for a protest against immigration enforcement and ICE at Arizona State University's Tempe campus on Jan. 30, 2026.
When asked to provide comment, an ASU spokesperson pointed to a social media post by ASU Police from the previous night, and also cited the university policy on free speech, specifically two bullet points:
“Avoid using reservable space. Most of the open areas of campus are available for speech, but certain outdoor locations have been set aside for the exclusive use of registered student organizations and university departments. Unless you are a department or student organization with a reservation, avoid those spaces and use one of the many other campus spots that are available for all.”
“Respect your neighbors. Thousands of people study, teach, research, work, and live on ASU’s campuses. So that they can also use campus, amplification is limited in volume (75 decibels or less at 30 feet) and time (Monday-Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 1 pm and 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.). Permission must be requested for live music that includes percussion, or for amplification outside of those hours.”
“They would make intimidation, they would make threats,” Nguyen said. “We don’t respond. We don’t talk to admin.”
Businesses and schools across Tucson took part in the national strike, which called for people to stay home from work and school in protest of the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis this month, along with other ICE actions.
