San Francisco State University students walkout as part of a rally against ICE at Malcolm X Plaza on Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. (Juan Padilla / Golden Gate Xpress)

Students rallied at Malcolm X Plaza earlier today to voice their opposition to ICE. 

Following weeks of anti-ICE protests across America, Michaela MacCallum, a 22-year-old biology major at San Francisco State University, co-organized the walkout with Indivisible SF to build community with peers.

“I think that the violence and brutality and the murders happening in the street should not be happening,” MacCallum said. “That’s kind of the message that I want to send to all the people on our campus who don’t feel exactly safe. I want them to know that there is a community of people on campus that believes in them and that what’s happening in our country is wrong.”

Shawn Harrigan, a 21-year-old cinema major at SFSU, decided to walk out of class in support of not only undocumented immigrants, but all immigrants, citing the violence ICE has been authorized to use. 

San Francisco State University students protest ICE while holding signs during a walkout on Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. (Gwen Murray / Golden Gate Xpress)

“I came out here in support of undocumented immigrants and immigrants in general. I have a lot of relation to immigrants personally, and so it’s important to me,” Harrigan said. “The authority to execute someone on the street is not something that any law enforcement has, let alone ICE.”

The walkout coincided with a group of religious demonstrators who decided to protest at SFSU. Five protesters held up signs with anti-LGBTQ+ messages, including “Homo sex is sin” and “God hates hands that shed innocent blood.” David Grisham was among them, livestreaming the gathering. He supports ICE, but did concede that the agency should not be committing violence against American citizens.

“We were already here for the Super Bowl and thought we’d come here before leaving town. We’re not opposed to ICE. We’re pro-law enforcement,” Grisham said. “We’re opposed to some of the things that ICE might be doing, like shooting people when they shouldn’t be shooting them. [I didn’t like] the last time they shot Mr. [Alex] Pretti, that didn’t look too good on camera.” 

Anti-LGBTQ+ protesters picket at Malcolm X Plaza as San Francisco State University students speak out against ICE on Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. (Juan Padilla / Golden Gate Xpress)

Former Colma Mayor and City Councilmember John Goodwin attended the walkout and spoke on the importance of the First Amendment in response to the religious group.
“[The Religious group] has a First Amendment right to protest, and they appear to be peaceful at this point, and we have the First Amendment right to say what we want to as well,” Goodwin said. “I don’t agree with them at all, but I would fight for the right to be out here.”

Goodwin said that going forward, politicians must take the complete shutdown of ICE as the first step. 

“[Opposition] must show their solidarity to get ICE the fuck out of the communities, period,” Goodwin said. “Defund the entire damn thing going forward. It’s just abject cruelty that they are doing to people. They’re picking people off the street, even citizens, but especially if you’re undocumented or if you’re a legal resident, they’re putting you into these facilities, these incarceration camps, with poor water and lack of food to break people.”

A San Francisco State University student protests ICE with a sign during a walkout on Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. (Gwen Murray / Golden Gate Xpress)

As the protesters marched beyond Malcolm X Plaza and around campus, the group quickly outpaced 70-year-old Judy Wedekind, MacCullum’s aunt, dressed in her frog costume. Still, through determination to show solidarity with the immigrant community, she caught back up to the group. 

“I was inspired by the Portland frog, which stands for resistance, peaceful resistance against ICE,” Wedekind said. “I’m so excited to see [Generation Z] finally getting involved. Sadly, the situation had to be so terrible, but we all have to get involved now. Like JD Vance said, a lot of old hippies. Well, now we have a lot of young professionals. The movement is starting to catch on with the general public.” 

Students such as Harrigan felt empowered seeing his peers march alongside him in solidarity.

“I feel good that I’m here. I think everyone’s voice matters in this,” Harrigan said. “There is a sizable amount of people here, and I think it’s good that every one of them thought, ‘this is important for me to be here.’”