Students at Rowan, Princeton, Rutgers protest ICE activity

Student organizers coordinated the multi-campus effort to voice opposition to federal immigration enforcement activities. The protests come as the new administration has signaled plans to ramp up immigration enforcement nationwide.

At Rutgers in New Brunswick, students gathered on the College Avenue campus to demand the university take a stronger stance protecting undocumented students. The demonstration followed similar patterns at Princeton, where students called for the university to declare itself a sanctuary campus.

Rowan University in Glassboro also saw student activism, with organizers there focusing on broader Homeland Security policies beyond just immigration enforcement.

The coordinated nature of the protests suggests growing organization among New Jersey college students around immigration issues. All three universities have significant populations of first-generation college students and immigrants.

Princeton and Rutgers have previously faced pressure from student groups to limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities. Rutgers, the state university, has been particularly scrutinized given its public funding and role serving New Jersey residents.

The timing of the protests aligns with increased federal immigration enforcement activity expected under the current administration. Student organizers have said they plan additional demonstrations in coming weeks.

Neither university administration immediately responded to requests for comment about the student demonstrations or potential policy changes regarding immigration enforcement cooperation.

The protests reflect broader tensions on college campuses nationwide as students push administrators to take positions on federal immigration policies that directly affect their peers and campus communities.