Richmonders of all ages continue protests as ICE actions escalate nationwide

Heciel Nieves Bonilla, News Editor

A gathering in Kanawha Plaza on Jan. 20 was one of numerous recent demonstrations in Richmond protesting against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) actions that have ramped-up in the area and in other states.

The protests came after the killing of Minneapolis resident Renee Good by an ICE agent — and are being fueled further by the killing of a second Minneapolis resident, Alex Pretti.

University and high school students in the Richmond-area have planned or already held walkouts protesting the presence of ICE, including at Huguenot and Douglas S. Freeman High Schools and Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School.

Local groups are also holding online training events and campaigns against a proposed ICE processing facility in Hanover County warehouse — despite inclement weather.

Virginia has outpaced much of the country in immigration enforcement, ranking in the top ten states for immigration arrests per capita from January to July of last year — with most of the arrestees having no prior convictions or pending charges, according to VPM.

Gov. Abigail Spanberger recently revoked former Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s 2025 executive order mandating state and local police to cooperate with ICE in certain ways. She did not order  the end of cooperation, or the prohibiting of new contracts.

Hundreds of people attended the Jan. 20 demonstration, including oft-Richmond organizers such as the Party for Socialism and Liberation, 50501, Indivisible, the Richmond Community Legal fund and the Democratic Socialists of America.

Fourth-year VCU sociology and gender, sexuality and women’s studies student Olivia Cunningham gave a simple reason for participating in the walkout.

“I f****** hate ICE,” Cunningham said.

Cunningham’s biggest concern is the impunity and violence of recent ICE detentions and profiling incidents against both citizens and non-citizens, including the recent shootings in Minneapolis — and the less-publicized killing of a Los Angeles man by an off-duty officer.

“Renee Good’s murder mobilized many people — watching a white, U.S.-born citizen’s life be taken by ICE was a huge wake up call,” Cunningham said. “I feel it’s important we ask, ‘why are people not also talking about Keith Porter Jr., who was killed that same week by an ICE agent?’”

Several local high schoolers were also present at the Jan. 20 demonstration to bring attention to the impacts of the Trump administration’s policies on their classmates.

Freeman students walked out again on Friday, according to a post on RVA Reddit. Huguenot, a majority-minority high school in Richmond’s southside, also saw students walk out in protest, according to VPM.

Freeman High School student Jonathan Mejia said he is worried about the presence of ICE in his community.

“It’s really scary knowing that some of our classmates are immigrants coming here for a better life, for a better education,” Mejia said. “It’s scary knowing that in the morning we could see our friends and by afternoon we don’t even know where they are, and they’re stopping our education.”

Richmond Defensa and the Party for Socialism and Liberation held a virtual meeting on Tuesday to teach people their rights, document interactions with law enforcement and mobilize. They are encouraging students to walk out of school again on Jan. 30.

50501 Virginia released a statement in response to a proposed ICE processing facility in Hanover County calling the agency a “domestic terrorist organization.”

At VCU, students have been continually involved in activism against ICE, including through campaigning for the university to clarify its protections for students, according to a previous report by The CT.

Many students throughout 2025 joined demonstrations at Monroe Park, Capitol Square and other sites across the city — from dozens to thousands-strong.

During a speech at the Jan. 20 event, lawyer Kaylin Cecchini asked people to donate to the Richmond Community Legal Fund, a nonprofit she helped create. The group’s work includes bond payment, legal support, family stabilization as well as the hosting of “know-your-rights” workshops throughout the city.

“All of us, regardless of immigration status, are endowed with certain inalienable rights that protect a free and democratic society,” Cecchini said. “Unfortunately, the actions of ICE officials sharply contradict those protections.”

Cecchini said the best way for students and other people to stay safe during demonstrations is to understand the “bounds of constitutionally protected activity.” The rest of society should work to maintain that safety when young people exercise their rights.

“Our elected officials and those under their command — including police and military — have a moral and legal obligation to protect those rights,” Cecchini said. “We demand they do so.”