Cal students march through Sather Gate at the end of a two-hour rally on Wednesday in support of immigrant community members. Credit: Ximena Natera, Berkeleyside/ CatchLight LocalChants of “ICE out of the Bay!” and “¡Si se puede!” rang out from a crowd of nearly 200 students and activists gathered at UC Berkeley’s Sproul Plaza Wednesday afternoon to show solidarity with undocumented community members and speak out against mass deportations in one of Berkeley’s largest public protests since President Donald Trump was reelected in November.
Undergraduate Cal students organized the rally and march, following student walkouts Tuesday in protest of recent immigration raids in San Jose.
Since his inauguration last week, Trump has issued a torrent of executive orders aiming to remake the nation’s immigration policy, including suspending the U.S. refugee admissions program, cutting federal funding from “sanctuary” cities and challenging birthright citizenship, though many of the directives face legal challenges. Arrests by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers have already ramped up significantly and Trump’s suggestion that tens of thousands of migrants could be detained in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, has sparked anxieties among many migrants.
“People weren’t realizing the severity of Trump’s presidency,” Hulissa Aguilar, rally co-organizer and a UC Berkeley first-year legal studies major, told Berkeleyside. “Now, a little over a week into his presidency, we see how much he’s changed and how much fear he’s elicited in the immigrant community. People are starting to realize that we can’t stay silent.”
Berkeley councilmembers voted the day after the inauguration to strengthen its “sanctuary city” policy, vowing to protect migrants in schools, hospitals and churches, where the Trump administration has lifted restrictions on ICE from operating. ICE is still able to act in sanctuary cities without local government’s cooperation.
At Wednesday’s protest, people carried posters and signs that read “No human is illegal!” and “Stop the raids!” Initially, six people signed up to speak at the rally, then 11, but at the event even more lined up to share their experiences. Ana Garcia, 35, an activist who grew up in the U.S. under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, spoke at the rally about her experiences receiving an education in the U.S.
Ana Garcia, an activist and recipient of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, and Nicole Nuńez-Rivera, a second-year political science and Chicano studies undergrad, hug during an emotional moment at Wednesday’s rally. Credit: Ximena Natera, Berkeleyside/CatchLight Local
Nearly 200 Cal students and community members rallied at Sproul Plaza. Credit: Ximena Natera, Berkeleyside/ CatchLight Local“I’m not scared. My family tells me, ‘Be careful, stop being an activist.’ With my voice, I will continue to stand here in solidarity with all of you because none of us are free until we’re all free, and we all deserve the same equal opportunity,” she said into the megaphone. Garcia spotted a person in the crowd crying and brought her up the steps for a hug.
“You have power and can thrive in this country no matter how they make you feel,” Garcia said, her voice breaking.
Berkeley Councilmember Cecilia Lunaparra, the first Latina and undergrad to serve on the council, said at the rally that she is a proud first-generation Mexican American who would not be a citizen under Trump’s executive order challenging birthright citizenship.
“The Trump administration represents a grave threat to Berkeley’s core value that everyone, regardless of where they were born, are welcome here,” Lunaparra said. “The proposed mass deportations would have devastating impacts on families, friends, coworkers, neighbors, and communities.”
Aguilar said her father was detained by immigration enforcement when she was 12 years old, and she’s been involved in migrant advocacy since then.
“Even if you’re a U.S. citizen, to see your community being torn apart is very disheartening,” Aguilar said. “People are very fearful right now, especially since Trump is changing policies very, very rapidly.”
Our undocumented community is afraid. They’re not going out, even though they want to speak and they want to protest.” — Kimberly Lopez, co-organizer of rally
Kimberly Lopez, a co-organizer of the rally and a UC Berkeley sophomore studying political science, also shared her story during the rally.
She was born in Baja California, Mexico, and immigrated to the United States with her mother and grandmother when she was 4 years old. Her grandmother was deported when Lopez was in first grade, missing her granddaughter’s birthdays, high school graduation and the birth of her siblings.
“Time is so essential, and I’ll never get that back with her,” Lopez said.
Lopez, who obtained residency in 2019, said some undocumented students and community members were afraid to join the demonstration Wednesday.
UC Berkeley students (from left) Karen Magana, Kimberly Lopez and Hulissa Aguilar organized the rally in less than 24 hours after being inspired by a walkout organized by high school students in San Jose on Tuesday. Credit: Ximena Natera, Berkeleyside/ CatchLight Local
Students pray during the Wednesday rally in support of immigrant communities in Berkeley on Jan. 29, 2025. Credit: Ximena Natera, Berkeleyside/CatchLight Local“Our undocumented community is afraid. They’re not going out, even though they want to speak and they want to protest. They want to be there on the front lines, but they can’t, so the people that can should,” Lopez said.
The rally ended with a non-denominational prayer — aimed at reclaiming religion from Republicans, organizers said. They then marched to the UC Berkeley chancellor’s office in California Hall, to raise awareness about immigrants’ rights and to call on the university to further strengthen protections for undocumented students. The university system recently reaffirmed a statement of principles in support of undocumented students and community members.
Lopez and Karen Magana, a second-year student who helped organize the rally, are both part of UC Berkeley’s Frontera group to advocate for issues in the U.S.-Mexico border. They said they will continue to organize rallies, workshops and community spaces for the immigrant community.
“This was the stepping stone for our activism,” Lopez said. “We are planning more events to continue to hold these spaces.”
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