Open Democracy Undergraduate Teaches Safety and Civic Advocacy Amid ICE Activity

Northwestern students and Evanston community members learn about immigrant rights and how to take action.

Published on Feb. 9, 2026

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Northwestern students and Evanston community members joined Open Democracy Undergraduate at its first Civic Sunday event of the winter quarter to learn more about safety amid increased Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity, civic advocacy, and individual and community rights. The event featured presentations on ICE's history and funding, as well as guidance on how to effectively contact Congress and push for policy changes at Northwestern to protect international, immigrant, and undocumented students.

Why it matters

With heightened ICE presence and activity in the area, the event aimed to empower the Northwestern and Evanston communities to channel their concerns into concrete advocacy efforts that can lead to meaningful policy changes and increased safety for vulnerable populations.

The details

The Civic Sunday event kicked off with a presentation about ICE and immigrant rights advocacy. Attendees learned that under the Trump administration, ICE's annual budget has grown to $85 billion, making it the highest-funded U.S. law enforcement agency. In contrast, ICE's budget was less than $6 billion under the Obama administration a decade ago. Organizers also highlighted the lack of formal, written policies at Northwestern to protect international, immigrant, and undocumented students from ICE activity, and they encouraged attendees to get involved in drafting a proposal for the university administration.

  • The event took place on February 9, 2026 as the first Civic Sunday of Northwestern's winter quarter.
  • A protest organized by the student group startswiththis occurred the previous Friday, sparking momentum that the Open Democracy Undergraduate event aimed to continue.

The players

Open Democracy Undergraduate

A student organization at Northwestern University that aims to empower the campus and local community to engage in civic advocacy and create change.

Open Democracy Evanston

A community group that works alongside Open Democracy Undergraduate to promote civic engagement and social justice.

Jovana Luna

Co-president of Open Democracy Undergraduate and a Weinberg sophomore at Northwestern University.

Diamond Jamal

A member of Open Democracy Undergraduate and a SESP sophomore at Northwestern University.

Savannah Hsu

Vice President of Membership for Open Democracy Undergraduate and a SESP junior at Northwestern University.

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What they’re saying

“Despite there obviously being a lot of passion, I think sometimes it's hard to know what to do with those strong feelings. Our goal is to continue the momentum that was begun by the protest last Friday by another student organization called startswiththis.”

— Jovana Luna, Co-president of Open Democracy Undergraduate (dailynorthwestern.com)

“Recent actions by ICE have raised fear, anger and a lot of unanswered questions, especially for students and community members who feel directly impacted. Part of why we want to hold this Civic Sunday is to create a space where people can talk honestly about what's happening, process those feelings together and learn how to respond in ways that are thoughtful and effective.”

— Diamond Jamal, ODU member and SESP sophomore (dailynorthwestern.com)

“Outreach and calling specifically is what we're talking about here that can move the focus from the data and metrics to the actual, like, human impacts that these decisions are having on safety, dignity and values that we're talking about.”

— Savannah Hsu, Vice President of Membership for Open Democracy Undergraduate (dailynorthwestern.com)

“We have very vague statements, which kind of tells us that our campus is not necessarily prioritizing the safety of our international community or undocumented community and our immigrant community.”

— Jovana Luna, Co-president of Open Democracy Undergraduate (dailynorthwestern.com)

“The students of Northwestern University have all the power in the world if they unite and they stand up against the powers that be.”

— Gayle Kemp, Open Democracy Evanston board member (dailynorthwestern.com)

What’s next

Open Democracy Undergraduate plans to draft a formal, written policy for Northwestern University that would require a judge's warrant for ICE to access private campus spaces and limit the sharing of student information with ICE agents.

The takeaway

This event highlights the growing concerns within the Northwestern and Evanston communities about the impacts of increased ICE activity, and the power of collective student action to push for concrete policy changes that can protect vulnerable populations and uphold values of safety, dignity, and social justice.