More than 60 community members gathered at UCI to rally for the university to protect immigrant students and faculty at 3 p.m. on May 21.
Organized by Anakbayan UCI, Rise for Rights and Resist US-Led War at UCI, the rally follows the detainment of Filipinx immigrants by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) across the nation.
Protesters at the “Defend Migrant Workers” rally chanted while marching around campus, using lyric sheets handed out by the organizations. Phrases included “Say it loud! Say it clear! ICE is not welcome here!” and “Money for jobs and education! Not for war and deportation!”
Protesters also chanted in Tagalog, saying “Makibaka! Huwag matakot!” which means “Struggle! Do not be afraid!” Organizers supplied protestors with handmade posters that highlighted key points of the rally, including “people over profit” and “protect migrants.”
The demonstration began at the flagpoles and ended with a march along Ring Road. Protesters began traveling counterclockwise at 3:48 p.m. and made stops at the Humanities Quad and the Social Sciences Quad before concluding at the flagpoles at 5:03 p.m.
A total of 10 organizations sent representatives to speak at the rally, including religious, Filipinx and anti-war organizations.
Beyond discussing the rights of migrant staff and students at UCI, the speeches also called for the university to divest from companies that support American militarization.
“There is a reason that there are so many migrants in the U.S.,” the Resist US-Led War representative said in their speech. “The U.S., through wars of aggression, tariffs, sanctions and unequal economic policies, makes the conditions in our home countries unlivable, forcing people to search for better lives within the U.S.”
The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 3299 is the largest employee union for workers in the University of California (UC) system. On behalf of UC workers, AFSCME is demanding better pay and housing support before agreeing to the next five-year contract. Negotiations began in January 2024 and have not yet reached a conclusion.
“Recently the UC has failed to meet UC campus worker demands for a fair contract, no increases to health care costs and affordable housing,” Anakbayan UCI said in an official statement posted to Instagram on May 23.
On April 7, UC imposed a hiring freeze on frontline workers. On April 30, UC offered to meet AFSCME’s original demands of a minimum wage of $25 an hour alongside a 5% wage increase. AFSCME has not responded to UC’s offer, but carried out a worker strike on May 1, International Workers Day, in response to the hiring freeze.
“It’s really important for us as a community to come together, not just today, but to really organize to defend migrant workers,” said an Anakbayan UCI member and a fourth-year comparative literature major in an interview with New University.
Following the recent Nakba 77 rally at UCI, where humanities lecturer Brook Haley and a UCI student were arrested on felony charges of vandalism on May 15, organizers encouraged and provided masks to all participants. Many speakers also wore sunglasses to further conceal their identities.
Lauren Durham is a News Intern for the spring 2025 quarter. She can be reached at durhaml@uci.edu.
Edited by Jaheem Conley.