Sanctuary, Solidarity, and Censorship at CMU

Like many other chapters, CMU YDSA adopted a Sanctuary Campus priority campaign starting in the Fall 2025 semester. We met regularly to discuss and debate the campaign’s priorities, with us initially trying to fit multiple demands into the petition. In addition to non-cooperation with ICE, we wanted to incorporate demands around BIPOC and LGBTQ+ protections, formal condemnation of hate speech, anti-repression, and ending ties to war industries. This was a long list of demands, so we eventually decided to focus solely on non-cooperation with ICE. 

It took multiple weeks to prepare the petition. After voting on a final draft of demands, making Canva posters, and setting up the petition site, we began sharing it on social media, reposting almost every day. We also started tabling once a week, and eventually every day once we had the capacity. One hurdle we have yet to overcome is that the Club Advisory Board refused to let us put up posters for the petition, so we resorted to handing them out to people directly. 

Once we had over a hundred signatures, we began planning our first campaign event. In the wake of multiple lethal incidents involving ICE, we voted to hold a vigil for these victims. I began researching all the people who died in ICE custody and pursuits, and was shocked to see how many people died under suspicious or likely homicidal circumstances. This wasn’t even counting the people who died after deportation, which was a difficult statistic to find. I looked up the photos, names, nationalities, and ages of all the reported ICE victims from 2025 and 2026. I read their stories, found gofundmes, viewed their obituaries, and compiled them in a document. 

The Vigil

After weeks of tabling and social media promotion, the day of the vigil arrived. It was on a weekend, which proved to be poor timing to hold an event. There were only about twenty non-members present, with very few passersby. Regardless, we had a few presentation boards with pictures of and info about the many victims of ICE. Our members decorated the display with flowers and candles, making it an emotional sight. We then had a few planned speeches, connecting current events to the fight for socialism. We also pushed the sanctuary campus petition and encouraged vigil attendees to join DSA, gaining us more signatures and recruits! We had a member read off the names, ages, and nationalities of the most recent victims of ICE and ended with a moment of silence. We then had an open mic, with a few non-members volunteering to share a few words. A reporter from the college newspaper was present as well; he took photos, did interviews, and got the story published a few weeks later. Despite the limited attendance, it was a successful first campaign event. 

After this, we decided to focus more on recruitment. We established a new recruitment committee, started tabling more, and began planning a YDSA 101 presentation. It was about this time that myself and the other co-chair traveled to YDSA Conference, in Chicago. Many of the workshops focused on recruitment, as it seems to be a point of struggle for most chapters. Receiving tips and tricks from fellow comrades as well as having training from DSA national, had us returning home with plenty of new ideas to implement. We started planning regular socials, encouraged active members to join and even lead committees, and started to set up phonebanking with the petition signers.

Marching in Solidarity, Whether Admin Likes It or Not

At the end of February, our other co-chair and myself met with someone who personally knows people in Minnesota. She was trying to fundraise for families impacted by ICE and asked CMU YDSA to organize a rally/march, to help promote it. After our members voted in favor of the proposition, we agreed to make it the next step of our sanctuary campus campaign. We decided to hold the event on March 27th, right after our scheduled YDSA 101 presentation. This was done to push those who attended the event to join us in the march, which is an exciting way for new recruits to get involved. It was also done on this day, to help raise money before rent is due. Unfortunately, this gave us only a month to plan it, not including spring break, which was the week prior to the rally. 

We quickly assigned roles and made a list of needed materials. This included things such as megaphones, yellow safety vests, extra DSA flags, microphone/sound equipment, printouts, signs/posters, waters, tabling supplies, etc. We also established safety marshalls, graphic designers, assigned flag bearers, speakers, chanters, and tablers.

But one conscious decision was made, that caused a whole sleuth of issues. When we debated requesting approval from the CMU club advisory board (CAB), we decided to not submit an event request. It’s a student-led protest, taking place outside, on an open campus. Asking permission really made no sense, so we decided to just notify the CAB once we had a more concrete plan. Our other co-chair was going to send them an email either the week of or week before the rally, just as a heads up. He didn’t get the chance to, before a student representative from the CAB sent both of us an angry email. They read about the rally in the school newspaper, were concerned about safety, and told us we need to submit an event request or pay to hold the rally as an “outside event”. I calmly responded that we will have the rally with or without approval and notified them that we have safety marshals and experienced protest organizers. They quickly suspended the chapter and told us our events were cancelled.

I called up our  other co-chair, Nikoli W. to decide how to proceed. He responded to their email, explaining that we are still recognized as an official chapter by YDSA and DSA national, that we will continue to meet and organize as a club with or without official recognition from the college, and that suspending us only gives us more autonomy. We then set up a meeting with the VP of student services, to discuss the whole situation. But before that meeting, we needed to move strategically. 

We consulted with other chapter leaders, the central committee, political education chair, and the recruitment captains. We then told the general body about the situation, assuring them that this changes very little. We then told other clubs, including the student newspaper, who gladly offered us a space to hold meetings during our suspension. We then made a social media post, publicly calling out CMU for their blatant censorship and political suppression. Compared to our other posts, this one blew up; students were reposting it, discussing it on Yik Yak, and coming up to talk about the situation during our tablings. Multiple news outlets reached out, wanting to cover the story. We had many interviews and wrote up a formal press release, with our official statement.

Despite all the stress, everything turned out better than expected. In our meeting with the VP of Student Services, we made no concessions and were reinstated as an official CMU club. It was clear that public pressure had a huge part to play in the situation turning our way. CMU admin had been receiving angry calls from students, staff, parents, and even the press. The VP of student services even stated that if it were up to him, he would’ve never suspended the club. He also made it clear that the main problem was the CMU branding in the name of the rally, “CMU Melts ICE”. He wanted us to state that the event was not sanctioned or endorsed by the institution. Maybe this was for insurance purposes, or just to maintain a politically neutral reputation. All I know is that there were multiple contradictory reasons given for our suspension. If the main concern is student safety, why could we pay to bypass that? Why did it become a problem of branding? They were clearly grasping at straws.

We then found out that the decision may have not even been made by the CAB and that deliberate steps may be taken to stifle political activity on campus. It isn’t just happening to us, even the right wing clubs are facing unreasonable fees, cancelled events, and threats of suspension. Professors have also become victims of censorship, a tenured Psychology professor recently quit because of it. This could be because of the institution’s president, the board of trustees, or state/federal policy.

Regardless of where it’s coming from, we intend to fight back, but we must continue to be strategic. We have met with other political clubs on campus, have formed alliances with professors, have formed connections with the local press, and have already been interviewed for an upcoming article about political suppression on campus. We are laying the foundation for a larger and longer battle. 

As far as the rally itself, it was very successful. The suspension lit a fire under both students and non-students, so there was a much larger turnout than we initially anticipated. Luckily we prepared, as the increased media coverage tipped us off. We got more safety marshalls, more printouts, more water, and made sure to have plenty of extra signs. I made multiple poster designs on Canva, got them printed locally, and we taped them to thick presentation boards. We also got markers and blank signs, allowing protesters to say exactly what they want to say.  When people would approach the protest, me or the other co-chair would greet them and encourage them to grab a sign if they did not already have one. Most people brought their own, but those who didn’t were covered! This fostered a very welcoming environment, which attracted new recruits and made everyone feel included. 

When the march began we had a comrade up front with a megaphone, screaming chants and leading the group. We also had safety marshalls in the front, back, and scattered amongst the crowd. We made our way to the center of campus, where sound equipment and a table was set up, with printouts, stickers, pins, and water stocked. We encouraged people to grab anything off the table and donate to either of the two charities we were sponsoring. We then started with the speeches and open mic, which had many volunteers, lasting nearly an hour. It was there that we once again tied the rally back to the wider socialist movement, exclaiming that working class people are under attack. The majority of the crowd reacted positively to socialist ideas, even when explicitly stated. After the open mic wrapped up, the table was flooded with people interested in joining DSA. This event was a clear success!

The Struggle Continues!

This situation goes to show how important it is for DSA members to be strategic and multifaceted when organizing events. This rally could not just be a parade-like protest, nor could it just be a charity event. This was a true example of mutual aid. We incorporated our sanctuary campus campaign into the rally, as well as focusing on recruitment and political education, while also raising money for families in need. Organizing national campaigns, pushing for local change, strengthening the community, spreading socialist ideas, and recruiting like-minded individuals is how we push the movement forward. 

Since the rally we have had many new faces at our meetings and have begun brainstorming our next campaign steps. We have discussed planning a May day event, meeting with the CMU president during his office hours, starting a letter writing campaign, and have developed a new vigilance committee. Right now it feels like the calm after a storm, but it surely won’t last long. We have also been working to settle disputes between the CMU YDSA and the local DSA chapter, something that has held both orgs back. This will hopefully be resolved soon, especially with the semester coming to an end in only five weeks. Other than that, things are good; active membership is high, our sanctuary campus campaign is on track, and we are prepared for whatever comes next!