One year of student protests against I.C.E.

For decades, UC Santa Barbara student activism has played a prominent role in campus culture by raising awareness for issues — local and global — influencing curriculum and university action. For the 2025-26 academic year, hundreds of students organized demonstrations and campaigns speaking out against United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

In the first year of President Donald Trump’s second term, the number of individuals held in immigration detention centers increased by almost 75% — the highest number in American history. This unprecedented expansion of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (I.C.E.) was enabled by Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill,” which allocated over $170 billion to immigration and border enforcement. Earlier this summer, Congress voted to direct around $70 billion to the Department of Homeland Security to fund I.C.E. through the end of Trump’s term. 

On July 4, 2025, the Daily Nexus launched an I.C.E. Sighting Tracker in light of raids in Goleta and Santa Barbara. Since June 8, 2025, 805UndocuFund — a local non-profit dedicated to supporting undocumented communities in the 805 area code — has sent reports of 60 I.C.E. sightings throughout Goleta and Santa Barbara, with one being an impersonation attempt. 

Unidentified federal agents attempt to identify student

On October 2, 2025, Santa Catalina Residence Hall staff alleged that unconfirmed immigration officials entered the building searching for a specific individual, but no information was shared by staff. 

The hall’s staff believe the agents entered the building by waiting for a student who was entering or exiting, as an electronic key is needed to enter. The agents showed the staff a file on a person with the Santa Catalina Residence Hall address. No information was disclosed as per the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, which prohibits the sharing of personal information from educational records without student consent. 

Former Associated Students (A.S.) President Le Anh Metzger told the Daily Nexus that the UC Police Department (UCPD) informed her the two individuals were a man and a woman who asked about an international student’s visa status. 

While the University stated it did not believe the individuals were I.C.E. agents, they began an investigation into the unidentified federal agents. The University told the Nexus that per UCPD’s investigation, it believed the individuals were government officials but had not confirmed their agency. Metzger also noted that UCPD had contacted the Ventura and Los Angeles I.C.E. field offices and were told that no agents were sent to the dormitory. 

There has been no more information provided by the University regarding the agencies or identities of the federal agents. 

Associated Students create ‘Protect Your Peers’ week

In January, several A.S. executives created the “Protect Your Peers” week, where university departments and local organizations led events surrounding immigrant rights and community advocacy. 

A.S. collaborated with 805UndocuFund to host its second rapid response training at UCSB as part of the week of events. With over 200 attendees, the training discussed the requirements needed to be a volunteer for their Rapid Response Network, presented attendees with the various warrants federal agencies may use to detain individuals and explained how to spot I.C.E. vehicles.

The week also included a “Know Your Rights & Legal Resources” workshop presented by the Undocumented Student Services (USS) and the Office of International Students & Scholars (OISS). 

Additionally, A.S. held a town hall with local representatives to provide undocumented and international students with resources. 

The week ended with a U.S. immigration policy teach-in by Asian American Studies professor John Park titled “Learn From History: Immigration in the U.S.” 

Student groups organize vigils and protests

Throughout the school year, UCSB’s students joined nationwide activism against I.C.E. and Trump by holding protests, teach-ins and vigils to honor the lives lost at the hands of federal agents. 

On Jan. 28, I.C.E. agents pushed one individual and pepper sprayed another in Eastside Santa Barbara. Following this incident and several other detainments and I.C.E. sightings in the community, El Congreso — a student-led activist organization — held a vigil to honor those impacted by I.C.E. 

Organizers and attendees honored the killings of Renee Good, Alex Pretti, Keith Porter Jr. and others by federal agents. Some spoke to their own experiences in detention centers, while others gathered around an ofrenda — a traditional Latin American altar which honors the deceased — with photos of individuals killed or detained by I.C.E. Several other organizations, including Students for Justice in Palestine, expressed their solidarity in their joint struggle. 

Student groups went on to hold several other demonstrations, including a protest on Feb. 4 which drew roughly 700 students and community members. These protests featured speakers from several local activist organizations including 805UndocuFund, SBResiste, La Cultura Del Mundo, Unión del Barrio and Improving Dreams, Equality, Access and Success, among others. 

Students establish a new chapter of Indivisible in I.V.

In February, a group of UCSB students established the Isla Vista chapter of Indivisible, a nationwide grassroots organization founded in 2016 that works to “stop the rise of authoritarianism in the U.S. and to demand a real democracy.”

The chapter was established by third-year political science and philosophy double major Tallula Borman, third-year geography major Kira Valles-Knoll and third-year political science and philosophy double major Juju Johnson. The group often holds educational meetings about political organizing under the Trump administration. 

On Feb. 7 Indivisible I.V. held its first demonstration, drawing community members to Anisq’Oyo’ Park to protest I.C.E. and the Trump administration. 

Students stage citizens arrest as ‘political theatre’

On Feb. 12, four students masked in bandanas wearing “Make America Great Again” hats entered the Lotte Lehmann Concert Hall during an Introduction to Communication lecture yelling in protest of immigrants and LGBTQIA+ people on campus. The students then performed a mock citizen’s arrest of a student and a staged altercation before leaving the building. 

The video of the staged event was quickly sent around the school via the anonymous social media platform Yik Yak, where large numbers of students posted negative comments about the “activists.” 

Professor and Communication Department Chair Tamara Afifi sent a department-wide email stating the disruption was conducted by a group of “politically progressive” students trying to promote an anti-I.C.E. and pro-transgender message. Afifi stated that the students were remorseful for their actions. 

Many students that were in the class at the time reported feeling unsafe and immediately worried if the group was armed with weapons. 

UCSB’s YDSA chapter advocates for sanctuary campus campaign

Each year, UCSB’s chapter of Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA) chooses a new campaign topic; this past year it was urging UCSB administration to designate UCSB as a sanctuary campus for undocumented students. 

On March 5, as part of a rally, YDSA members delivered a list of demands to the office of Chancellor Dennis Assanis, which included a petition of support signed by over 3,000 UCSB students demanding the University to protect its students from I.C.E. The petition’s demands included prohibition of I.C.E. and other immigration enforcement agencies from operating on school groups, an emergency fund and rapid response team for students who have been detained and guaranteed housing for undocumented students, among others.

The petition also called for compliance with California Senate Bill SB98 — which required all universities to immediately notify students, parents and staff of I.C.E. presence on campus. 

At the end of the rally, a group of YDSA members entered Cheadle Hall to deliver the demands to the chancellor’s office, but both the chancellor’s office and the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs had locked their doors, drawn the blinds and did not respond to knocking and verbal calls. YDSA students slid the list of demands underneath the door of the chancellor’s office.

Following this, YDSA’s negotiation team met several times with Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Life, Suzanne Perkin, and Dean of Students, Joaquin Becerra, to discuss the demands; however, in a statement to the Nexus, Perkin and Becerra clarified they were not negotiators but rather reached out to offer their support.

On May 21, YDSA held a teach-in outside Cheadle Hall calling on the University to meet their demands. The teach-in emphasized the importance of community building when fighting against federal agencies. Several organizations spoke, including the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) 3299. 

As of today, YDSA’s demands have not been met by the University. 

A version of this article appeared on p. 6 of the Aug. 27 print edition of the Daily Nexus.