On the afternoon of Feb. 28, a group of students gathered in Grewen auditorium for an event called “A Day Without Immigrants,” consisting of student talks on the subject and a walkout demonstration afterwards. Organized by student leaders of El Progreso, Art Club, Peace Action Le Moyne, Le Moyne SGA, First Generation Club, Spanish Club, Students for Justice in Palestine, and Political Science Academy, “A Day Without Immigrants” provided a platform for student voices and an opportunity for education on the subject of immigration.
The event took place in the wake of the Trump administration’s executive orders and long-used rhetoric against the non-white immigrant community. One such executive order is titled Protecting the American People Against Invasion and identifies “many” of the immigrants as being “hostile” and engaging in “preparation for terror-related activities.” During his 2025 campaign, the president also claimed that immigrants are “poisoning the blood of our country,” specifically identifying those who have come from South America, Asia, and Africa.
While concerns about the president’s attacks on the immigrant community have been present since his 2016 campaign with promises of building a wall at the U.S.-Mexico border and his 2017 Muslim travel ban, his second term has only intensified such concerns. The executive orders issued have included efforts toward “deployment of thousands of troops, invoking the Alien Enemies Act last used during World War II, shutting down humanitarian parole programs, dramatically widening interior immigration enforcement, pausing refugee resettlement, and seeking to end birthright citizenship to future U.S.-born babies who do not have at least one parent who is a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident, according to the Migration Policy Institute.
“The event itself was to kind of raise awareness to the immigrant reality in the United States,” Vice President of Student Experience on SGA and President of Political Science Academy Barbara Maciel shared, adding that “we thought it was really important to provide these resources as part of the Jesuit mission,” and because “Le Moyne has a really big immigrant population.”
Maciel was the first speaker at the event, presenting for about a half hour on the subject of immigration, addressing the current administration’s rhetoric about the immigrant community, examining the history of immigration in the U.S., and debunking stereotypes and misconceptions often held about immigrants with her own research.
Following Maciel’s presentation were remarks from Peace Action Le Moyne President Syd Kellogg, and El Progreso President Valentina Castellanos speaking in support of the immigrant cause. Last to speak was Hamza Hassan, who is Vice President of PRISM, a Dablon RA, and frequent collaborator with Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), as well as a member of the Muslim Student Association and El Progreso. He led an educational activity in which everyone in the room had to try to toss paper in a trash can without standing up to demonstrate the inequity in the U.S., facilitating a discussion about what those nearest to the trash (the privileged) can do in response.
Despite the cold and dreary conditions, the group was then led outside to the Grewen Quad for a demonstration, where student leaders guided a march with chants in both English and Spanish.
Freshman Mia Lesley-Fox attended the educational portion of the event and also marched in the demonstration with her parents, Tina and Melissa. When asked her reasoning for doing so, Mia said, “I think it’s important, especially with how things currently are in the country. I think that it is important to stand with people who are experiencing hate and discrimination and its important that our school acknowledges this and does what they can to support and protect its students.” Tina and Melissa shared that they were there to support students and because “diversity, equity, and inclusion are very important.”
Emma Kuratate was another student who attended, and when asked why, she explained, “I came here because my own people have been discriminated against,” and that “I don’t want to see anyone else have to go through something similar, so it’s important to be aware and make people aware of what’s happening.”
Students for Justice in Palestine was one club of many that helped organize the event, and President Fatima Abraham shared her reasoning for why both she and the club as a whole felt called to stand with the immigrant community: “Because of my Palestinian-Muslim identity, I feel with everybody else and all the other children of immigrants who are dealing with the crises happening right now. The way those groups stand for the cause of Palestinians, I do the same, not just out of exchanging obligations, more out of humanity and as a human being.”
She also went on to say that “it’s only the bare minimum that I support this and make sure that my voice is heard in that I express solidarity with immigrants and this cause.”
When asked for comment on the event, Communications Director Joe Della Posta offered this statement on behalf of the school: “Le Moyne College welcomes all political perspectives within the bounds of civility and civil rights. Students taking a stance on issues and gathering for a peaceful protest is part of the ethos of a Jesuit education and it is the right of every Le Moyne student to exercise freedom of expression.”
