Gabriel Tapia Contreras, a freshman majoring in Environmental and Earth Sciences and a first-generation citizen, wishes that the Minnesota government would do more to protect its people from the threat posed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

They stressed the importance of actions over words, saying that the people in power aren’t putting in “half as much effort as the people on the streets of Minneapolis.” Tapia Contreras has been actively protesting ICE by attending YDSA meetings and participating in the sit-in for a sanctuary campus.

The student’s dad was deported during Trump’s first administration, and they talked about how the actions of ICE and the government have permanent and devastating impacts. This isn’t a problem that will go away once it leaves our news feeds.

However, Tapia Contreras is proud of the community, saying, “I love the resilience of Minnesota citizens… It makes me so happy to see that people are doing what they can to make an impact.”

Ari Lickteig, a freshman studying mechanical engineering, is horrified by ICE actions in Minnesota and is devastated to see how the state that he loves is being impacted.

“I don’t like how I see it affecting the community of Minnesota as a whole,” he says, “I like living here. I like the people in Minnesota. I am Minnesota proud.”

Ari talked about how dangerous it is, especially in the Twin Cities — where he’s originally from. The heavy ICE presence makes leaving the house stressful. He describes ICE as a “looming threat” in his life and the lives of many others.

In these uncertain times, Ari shares how he’s finding balance in his life. “I’m trying to just stay on my schoolwork… not let it stress me out as much as I can, but still be vocal and active about my distaste for what’s going on and everything.”

Jesse Jones is a second year student at UMD, a member of the National Society of Black Engineers and a Black Student Association member who disagrees with the current actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Minnesota.

“I don’t think what they are doing is right, they’re separating families and going door to door without proper identification” Jones stated.

When asked about the recent arrests performed by ICE, Jones said “I don’t like it, it’s kind of scary. I know some students here who are undocumented, and they are good people so if something like that happened to them it would make me feel some type of way.”

Mia Alvarado, the freshman representative of the Latinx/Chicanx Student Association stated, “I think that they are doing very inhumane things. They could handle this process much better and I just do not think it is right what they are doing right now, they are separating millions of families and it is heartbreaking.”

After being asked about the recent actions taken by ICE, Alvarado mentioned, “I do not support it because I don’t think anybody should be using force.”

UMD Students Speak Out Against ICE Action in Minnesota