GSU students hold walkout, rally to protest ICE on campus

ATLANTA - A small but vocal group of Georgia State University students and activists gathered on campus Tuesday to protest the Trump administration’s policy of revoking visas for international students involved in protests or accused of minor crimes.

RELATED: 17 international students in Georgia accuse ICE of violating due process in visa revocation

What we know:

Activists say the visa cancelations have impacted students involved in peaceful demonstrations, including protests over the war in Gaza, as well as others arrested for low-level offenses like traffic violations.

The demonstration, titled "ICE Off Our Campus – Hands Off Our Students," began at 1 p.m. at Library Plaza on the downtown Atlanta campus, according to the organizers.

RELATED: Trump's orders sparks visa revocations, campus protests at Georgia colleges

Organizers say the protest is in response to the reported revocation of visas for about 20 GSU students and alumni, which they argue threatens the academic futures and safety of their peers.

The rally at Georgia State is part of a broader national movement opposing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) presence on college campuses and federal immigration enforcement against international students. Similar demonstrations have taken place in recent weeks at universities across the country.

RELATED: Four Emory University students faces immigration record termination

On April 11, several hundred students gathered on a lawn at the University of Oregon, according to The Register-Guard. A separate protest was held at Minnesota State University on March 28, as reported by The Free Press.

Meanwhile, students at Florida International University are also expected to protest today after reports that the university’s police department signed a cooperation agreement with ICE, according to NBC6 South Florida.

What they're saying:

Chanting "Hey, hey, ho, ho, deportation has got to go," demonstrators with the Party for Socialism and Liberation joined Georgia State students to call attention to what they described as unjust immigration enforcement targeting students.

"If this can happen to other students with no warning, no due process… if the government is willing to do that, I don't see why they wouldn't start doing that to us," said Ione Shakur, a senior at Georgia State University.

Immigration attorney Chuck Kuck, who represents 17 international students — including seven from Georgia — said the visa revocations followed arrests for what he characterized as minor infractions.

"All of them have been found innocent — not ‘not guilty,’ but that we should not have brought these charges," Kuck said.

GSU organizers say their goal is to protect the rights of immigrant students and push back against policies they view as discriminatory and harmful to campus communities.

In the meantime, a group of 17 international students from universities across the country has filed a federal lawsuit in Georgia claiming ICE unlawfully terminated the SEVIS records of the students. 

Kuck argued the issue would be viewed differently if American students abroad faced the same consequences.

"If their son they sent to Germany was arrested at Oktoberfest for public drunkenness, and now you are being deported for this — ‘wait a minute, he's just a college student’ — that’s the kind of thing we are talking about," Kuck said.

Satya Vatti, a protest organizer with the Party for Socialism and Liberation, echoed that sentiment, saying international students deserve more than the chance to study.

"They are not only here to study, but they are also here to live their life," Vatti said. "Every policy of this country is going to impact them."

The other side:

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has defended the administration’s position, saying student visas are a privilege, not a right, and should be limited to educational purposes.

What's next:

A federal lawsuit filed against Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Department of Homeland Security, and the U.S. Attorney General alleges the government unlawfully revoked student visas without due process. The suit seeks reinstatement of the students’ visas so they can return to class.