Three on-campus groups, united to form the ICE OUT Coalition of NMSU, are calling on New Mexico State University’s Administration to take a bolder stance against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

NMSU’s Graduate Workers United (GWU), and Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) joined NM Dream Team to deliver these demands to President Ferme in a march to Hadley Hall on March 25.

1. An immediate ban on ICE and CBP from all future recruitment fairs.
2. A formal policy requiring a judicial warrant for any federal immigration enforcement on campus.
3. A public reaffirmation of NMSU as a sanctuary for all workers and students.

Minerva Baumann, Media Relations Officer, provided a statement on behalf of the university, on March 30, in response to a request from The Round Up to state its perspective on the demands.

“NMSU affirms the right of community members to engage in peaceful expression,” the admin stated. “The university has received a formal written statement of demands from the coalition. As with all communications from members of our campus community, these will be reviewed by university leadership. NMSU will respond through appropriate institutional channels. NMSU remains dedicated to fostering a campus environment where every student, faculty member, and employee feels safe, supported, and valued. We will continue that work in dialogue with our community.”

The ICE OUT Coalition began in front of Corbett Center Student Union and marched down International Mall carrying signs and flags until they reached the front of Hadley Hall.

SJP President Alberto del Campo said the coalition wanted President Ferme and his administration to take a stance against ICE in order to protect the community.

“President Ferme, it is time to grow a backbone,” del Campo said. “It is time to take a moral stance. It is time to lead through ethics and humanity. Do not come to serve a minority majority institution if you lack the principled integrity to protect us. We are here to demand you do better. We refuse to accept this new era of violence, genocide, and hatred as a new normal.”

Another speaker, Sarai Guerrero, who represented NM Dream Team, recited a letter written by an anonymous undocumented student at NMSU to voice immigrant concerns in the community.

“NMSU is my home,” Guerrero read. “Like you, [I] have spent long hours studying, working, making big sacrifices for one dream. I have walked these halls with you, shared a classroom and food with you. I have tasted rejection after rejection, because even my best efforts can amount to nothing because I lack a nine-digit number. But I refuse to give up . . . I refuse to let my friends be recruited to feed the beast of mass deportation, family separation, and border militarization. Not on this campus, or anywhere.”

President of GWU, Caedmon Ragland, spoke as a representative of the school’s graduate union and said NMSU admin have the responsibility to ensure the safety of their students, staff, and faculty.

“No person on NMSU campus is safe, until every person, undocumented or otherwise, is safe,” Ragland said. “And this cannot happen until we rip out Customs and Border Patrol from this campus. Until we remove the people who are harassing, abducting, threatening, interrogating people, and are causing fear and distrust that’s ripping apart our communities.”

Lucene Drissell, a member and photographer with SJP, said the three groups coordinated together to make sure the march was well-planned. On the sunny day, coalition members distributed drinks and cold treats to marchers.

“I just think it’s really cool to see people came out,” Drissell said. “I feel like that’s the challenge of doing any marching-based movement in New Mexico and the Southwest. That, it’s going to be hot. But I think we planned it well, to where we’ve got a specific outline of what we’re doing . . . we chose to meet here in the shade, and we timed it well where there’ll be an impact of people seeing that students and the community care.”

Interim Chief of Police of the NMSU Police Department, Justin Dunivan, said he was content with how the protesters behaved inside Hadley Hall.

“I was very proud that everyone maintained peace,” Dunivan said. “That was my primary focus with my staff on the scene. They were able to express their concerns, and, in fact, I had a conversation with one of the coordinators in advance.”

President Ferme has yet to give his own formal statement on whether he will accept the demands of the ICE OUT Coalition.

This story was originally published on NMSU Round Up on April 7, 2026.