Hunter College Students Start Year with Immigrant Rights Protest

(NEW YORK) Hunter College students began the spring term with loud, coordinated protests for immigrant rights, rallying outside campus buildings and across the City University of New York system to oppose the presence of DHS recruiters at job fairs and information sessions. In late January and February 2025, the Hunter College Committee to Defend Immigrants led demonstrations at Hunter West and John Jay College that drew more than 150 students, faculty, and community supporters.

Organizers timed the actions to directly confront Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recruitment events, arguing that federal agents tied to deportations do not belong on campuses that serve large immigrant communities.

Key outcomes and immediate responses

After sustained pressure, a planned DHS information session at John Jay College was canceled. Student leaders called the cancellation a hard‑won win and vowed to push for stronger protections at Hunter College and other CUNY campuses.

“The agents of deportation have no place on our campuses,” said Hunter undergraduate Sam Griffith at a rally.
Fellow student Grace Campbell said the presence of DHS recruiters sends “a message of fear” at “a largely immigrant school.”

Faculty and union leaders have joined students on the line. Mike Fabricant, a Hunter professor and former Professional Staff Congress (PSC) first vice president, called the federal push “an attack on all marginalized communities” and urged continued resistance.

PSC-CUNY, which represents faculty and staff across CUNY, organized or supported multiple rallies this year, including a February 25 demonstration aimed squarely at DHS recruitment on campuses. Union members have also been working with students to share know-your-rights guidance and connect classmates to legal services.

Policy context: federal actions and local protections

The protests come amid an escalating federal crackdown under President Trump’s second term. Since January 2025, the administration has issued executive orders seeking to:

• Expand mass deportations
• Restrict asylum
• Pressure local governments and institutions to work more closely with federal enforcement

Some orders—including those touching birthright citizenship—face legal challenges and temporary blocks in federal court. But the broader direction has already reshaped campus life, as immigrant students report increased anxiety about surveillance, doxxing, and the risk of enforcement actions near schools.

New York City maintains strong sanctuary policies and city officials have tried to reassure residents that local agencies do not share information with federal immigration authorities except in serious criminal cases. Under guidance in place since March 2025, city workers must see a judicial warrant before allowing federal immigration agents into city buildings, including many public facilities.

According to the NYC Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs:

• ICE is barred from making arrests at courthouses and other city sites without a judicial warrant.
• Residents can seek help from city-backed legal providers if enforcement actions occur on or near public property.
• Official guidance and services are outlined at NYC.gov/immigrants.

Campus climate and student concerns

Even with city protections, students say campus feels different. Hunter College activists describe classmates thinking twice before attending rallies, fearing doxxing or targeted harassment that could lead to immigration harm.

Others worry about academic retaliation, pointing to incidents at nearby campuses where students faced discipline tied to protest activity. Hunter administrators have issued statements of support for immigrant students but acknowledge limits on what a college can do if federal officers act under lawful authority.

Student organizers have built out support networks to meet those concerns. The Hunter Student Union, launched in August 2024, has become a focal point for coordination around immigrant rights, with students:

• Sharing safety tips
• Connecting peers to legal help
• Setting up rapid-response communication channels

Faculty members have offered to accompany students to meetings, write letters for immigration cases, and coordinate with PSC-CUNY committees. These efforts mirror a broader mobilization citywide, with regular meetings by the Immigrant Solidarity Working Group and ongoing rallies that tie campus safety to wider fights over deportation policy.

Why DHS recruiters are a flashpoint

VisaVerge.com reports that student activists across the United States have focused on DHS recruiters as a flashpoint because recruitment fairs blur the line between routine career events and the presence of agencies linked with arrest and removal.

At CUNY, the issue strikes a nerve because:

• Many students are first- or second-generation
• Some live in mixed-status families
• The sight of uniformed or plainclothes federal officers on a campus quad heightens fear for students eligible for Deferred Action or awaiting asylum or removal decisions

The Trump administration defends its actions as necessary for national security and public safety, stressing deterrence and swift enforcement. Officials say stronger coordination with local institutions helps remove individuals who violate immigration laws or pose risks.

Those claims remain fiercely contested. Immigrant advocates argue the policies:

• Discourage reporting of crimes
• Push families into the shadows
• Undermine the educational mission of public institutions

Courts will decide the fate of several 2025 orders, but the uncertainty has already altered daily life for immigrant students who now plan their movements, communications, and attendance at public events with more caution.

Developments on the ground

• In late January and February, rallies at Hunter College and John Jay College drew more than 150 participants and led to the cancellation of a DHS session at John Jay.
• PSC-CUNY organized a February 25 action against DHS recruitment on CUNY campuses and has continued to hold solidarity events through 2025.
• Campus groups report increased concerns about doxxing and online harassment, with some students avoiding protests or using face masks and signs that don’t reveal names.
• Organizers say they will keep pressing CUNY to adopt clear policies limiting access for DHS recruiters and to expand visible support for immigrant students.

Policy developments and funding

The federal-state-city policy triangle will shape what happens on campus in the months ahead. Federal executive orders issued in early 2025 aim to expand removals, curb humanitarian protections, and push institutions to cooperate with enforcement.

New York City continues to use sanctuary rules and legal firewalls to keep federal immigration agents at arm’s length from local operations. Meanwhile, New York lawmakers are weighing bills to:

• Strengthen due process protections
• Increase legal funding
• Guarantee counsel for people in deportation proceedings

City budget proposals this year included:

Advocates say these funds are vital as more students and families seek advice on status, asylum deadlines, and removal defense. Lawmakers are also discussing the New York City Trust Act and the Access to Representation Act, which aim to limit cooperation with civil immigration enforcement and expand guaranteed legal counsel.

What students and faculty want

For students at Hunter College, the immediate question is whether DHS recruiters return to CUNY job fairs in the fall and how campus administrators respond. Student leaders want clear, public policies that put student safety first, including:

• Advance notice about any federal presence at campus events
• Firm rules requiring a judicial warrant for law enforcement access to nonpublic areas
• Robust referral pathways to legal aid

Faculty members add that better training for staff and security could prevent confusion if federal officers appear at entrances or request records.

University leaders face a tight legal space. CUNY and Hunter College must uphold free speech and viewpoint neutrality rules, even as many students argue that giving recruiting space to agencies involved in deportation conflicts with the university’s mission. Administrators also contend with federal preemption and cannot block lawful enforcement actions. That tension is likely to persist while federal policies prioritize speed and deterrence in immigration cases.

Practical steps and safety guidance

Student organizers, faculty, and legal advocates recommend the following practical steps on campus:

1. If federal agents appear, ask to see a judicial warrant before granting access to nonpublic areas.
2. Call a trusted legal provider or campus advocate right away.
3. Avoid sharing personal details publicly; consider using first names only at rallies.
4. Document encounters with time, place, and badge numbers, if safe to do so.

Advocates stress that these measures protect all students — mixed-status households, international students, and U.S. citizens in immigrant families all feel the effects when DHS recruiters or officers operate near classrooms.

Looking ahead

As fall semester events take shape, both sides are watching the courts. Several challenges to 2025 executive orders remain pending, and temporary blocks could limit parts of the federal plan.

• If higher courts allow the orders to proceed, DHS may increase operations that reach closer to schools and public venues, intensifying the debate over where recruitment and enforcement should occur.
• If courts rein in the orders, students and staff could see some pressure ease, though the broader enforcement framework would remain.

For now, the cancellation of the John Jay session stands as a milestone for Hunter College activists who insist that immigrant rights and campus safety are inseparable. Whether that momentum shifts CUNY policy on DHS recruiters will be a key test of what student power can achieve during a turbulent year for immigration in the United States.