By Abby Knox, Editorials and Opinions Editor 

Cheers and music could be heard all throughout campus on Friday during the anti-U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) walkout. 

Held at Husman stage, the event was not affiliated with any specific on-campus political organization but rather a group of concerned students. The event was coordinated with a flyer that was shared via Instagram stories of Xavier students. 

On this flyer were some directions and ground rules for the event, along with an anonymous hotline where students, faculty and other Xavier community members could submit their stories and testimonials. Select stories were read at the walkout event. Students showed up and spoke out in support of those who cannot because they feel unsafe due to their documentation status, as well as the ICE brutality that has been happening around the country.

With a mixture of prayer, music and testimonials, this event unified the Xavier community regardless of documentation status. Stories were shared from students who feared attending due to the recent events, and about family members disappearing one day never to be seen again as they were taken under ICE custody. Strangers embraced each other as a mixture of emotions were felt all around. 

Handouts were passed out with resources and ways to help the immigrant community in the surrounding area as well as pre-written email templates. One template was to inform professors that students would be missing during the walkout. The other was for the Xavier administration so that they knew that students were standing in solidarity with those who may be affected by the recent immigration issues and ICE brutality. 

“I wanted to show the school, the world and the administration that the people united will never be divided, that we will not stand for the awful things that ICE is doing right now, and that we are a united community for our immigrant brothers and sisters,” one of the main speakers at the event and junior theology major Guana Lesniewski said.

The Xavier community united together through the singular goal of making this a safe space for all people, not just those with the proper documentation papers. 

“I hope that through this people will start to see that they are not alone in their need for justice, and through the things that we have given out, people will start to realize that there’s stuff they can do in their community to make a significant change, and that we cannot just accept the injustices and the evils that ICE is doing, and we can make a change,” Leniewski said.

Several students draped flags of their country around them throughout the walkout. The event ended with everyone gathering on the Husman stage dancing and singing to the words of Bad Bunny among other Spanish speaking singers.