No ICE, No Fear

By Kareli Lizárraga

On the evening of October 23, along with dozens of other students and staff at the University of Pennsylvania, I attended a protest to shut down a speaking engagement with the director of ICE, Thomas Homan at the Perry World House. As an undocumented immigrant, Penn alum, and Associate Director of La Casa Latina, I felt deep hurt and anger that my alma mater and employer was providing a huge platform to someone who has been responsible for separating millions of families and violating fundamental human rights.

I learned about the event four days before it happened at a meeting with faculty and staff who were concerned about the end of DACA through a Supreme Court ruling. Immediately after the meeting, I reached out to one of the few Latinx professors on campus who is tenured as well as alumni and students who are part of Penn for Immigrant Rights, an organization focused on advocacy and support of undocumented students. With the support of alumni, I wrote this petition in order to let Penn and Perry World House know that condemned the invitation of an ICE agent and demanded that Penn do more to support the immigrant community. In less than 4 days, over 500 aumni, current students, and community members from across the country signed the petition. Staff from Perry World House responded with a press release that reasserted their intention to hold the event and engage in “dialogue” with people from differing viewpoints. When I realized that Perry World House would still host this event, I decided to attend the protest that was being organized by Penn for Immigrant Rights during the event.

At Perry World House, students filled the outside of the space and stood by windows so that they could be seen and could support protestors that were inside. They held signs that said “No one is illegal on stolen land” and “Abolish ICE”. For those of us inside, the atmosphere was tense and apprehensive. As soon as Homan and other panelists came out to get on stage, students began to “boo” and to chant phrases like “no hate, no fear, immigrants are welcomed here”. Because of the acoustics of Perry World House, the chants echoed and were projected throughout the building and as  we heard our own voices, we were inspired to chant louder and louder. My intentions when I decided to attend the protest was to simply be there to support my students and protect them if anything happened. However, when I saw Homan laughing from his spot onstage, I was filled with so much rage at this man who manifested and promoted all of the terror, fear, and anxiety that I and my family have felt because we are undocumented. I joined the chants and followed students lead to get louder and louder, even when event organizers came onstage asking that we be quiet. In the days leading up to the protest, I felt nervous that I was jeopardizing my employment at Penn and future opportunities at the university by attending yet at this protest all of my fears evaporated. I was reminded by my students and the people around me that we are so powerful and that our voices will not be silenced.