SPOKANE, Wash. — More than 100 Gonzaga University students joined protesters across the country today in a demonstration against Immigration and Customs Enforcement policies, calling for their campus to become an “ICE free zone.”
The student-led protest gathered on Foley Lawn just after noon, drawing students, faculty and community members who wanted to stand in solidarity with immigrant communities. The demonstration also called upon the university to adopt campus sanctuary policies.
Jackson Scopa, one of the student organizers behind Do Better Gonzaga, helped coordinate the event.
“I was in the meetings, talking with my fellow classmates about putting this together,” Scopa said. “Show ICE that they cannot be here and we’re not going to allow and accept that students and even younger children and families being torn apart in our communities.”
For many participants, this was their first organized protest.
“It feels like something that’s important enough that I need to make my voice heard,” said Jack Champlain, a Gonzaga student.
Joy Smits, another Gonzaga student, said recent news stories motivated her participation.
“The other day I read about that five year old boy getting taken from his school … from his family. I have family members who are five years old and that really hit a personal chord,” Smits said.
Gonzaga University shared a statement about the protests. You can read the full statement below:
Gonzaga recognizes that peaceful campus demonstrations like the one held Friday regarding U.S. immigration policies and enforcement are an important way for students and other members of the University community to make their voices heard. Our Jesuit values and University Mission call upon us to seek justice, uphold the dignity of all persons and to build bridges of understanding that can lead to a more hopeful and peaceful future. They also call us to be people for and with others, and to seek justice. Demonstrations can be powerful opportunities for expression of ideas and catalysts for change, and we appreciate that Gonzaga students are dedicated to working toward a more peaceful future.
COPYRIGHT 2025 BY KXLY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.
