Throughout the University of Michigan’s (UofM) central campus, hundreds of high school and college students, parents and teachers could be heard chanting and marching in protest of the ICE administration.
UofM student Ali Bialek is a part of Wolverine for Abdul at the University of Michigan, one of several organizations that worked to organize the protest within the university.
“We’re trying to help people support any way we can, control the crowd and just encourage people to speak up and use our voice,” Bialek said. “Everybody just wants somewhere to be able to express their frustration.”
The protest took place at The Diag at 11:30 a.m. on Jan. 30th, 2026, joining a nationwide wave of protests against the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and federal immigration policy. The protesters marched near the University of Michigan’s main campus in temperatures as low as 11 degrees. Participants chanted, carried signs and called for an end to aggressive enforcement tactics after recent fatal shootings involving federal agents in Minneapolis sparked national outrage.
Handmade signs throughout the crowd reflected a mix of urgency, anger and solidarity. Protesters held posters reading words like “No one is illegal,” “Abolish ICE,” and “No one is illegal on stolen land,” while others used wordplay and imagery to criticize immigration enforcement, including signs depicting ICE melting or on fire. Many signs emphasized community and unity, with messages calling for the protection of immigrants, an end to deportations and resistance to what protesters described as fear-driven enforcement tactics.
This local action was part of a broader “national shutdown” movement that saw rallies, walkouts and strikes across the country demanding justice, accountability and sweeping changes to ICE’s role in communities. The shutdown included protests, strikes from work and school, and a national “no-spend day”.
Olivia Hardin, mother of CHS freshman Issac Hardin, protested because she finds it uplifting to be around people who are distressed and feel the same way about what is going on in the United States as she does. She has seen members of her community offering help to parents and families who are afraid to drive their kids to school or go to the store to buy groceries in fear of ICE. Hardin is unsure how effective a protest can be, but she does believe that community support is what is making a difference today.
An MLive video captures protesters chanting as hundreds gathered at the University of Michigan on Jan. 30.
“I just hope that people keep showing up for their neighbors. In our neighborhood, people are starting to organize to do what we can.” Hardin said, “We are in the process of downloading signals so that we can message each other like, ‘who can help this woman get groceries?’”.
Students from high schools across Ann Arbor came to support, including many from Community High School, where school was closed due to a high number of reported staff absences. One CHS student, Bug Denomme, marched through the snowy streets with two of their peers. For Denomme, the presence of ICE in nearby communities has made them fearful for immigrants they know and pushed them to speak out.
“Our civil rights are being completely ignored. Due process is completely ignored, and our government is not protecting us,” Denomme said. “I know undocumented immigrants, and I hate to think that our bus stops aren’t even safe now. I hate to know that my city is not safe for everyone.”
Neil Carlin, a sophomore at CHS, isn’t the only student who sees the impact hit close to home. Carlin joined in solidarity to support his friends and share his voice on the issue.
“I have a lot of friends who are immigrants, and immigrants should be welcome here. This is a country of immigrants, founded by immigrants, and it never should be some exclusive club where many groups of people are scapegoated and blamed for problems that they did not cause,” Carlin said. “ I do not want to see history repeat itself.”
