MANKATO — The weather dipped below 30 degrees, not accounting for the wind, and clouds covered the sun. And yet, Cole Koets stood outside for an hour and a half with no hat and just one glove.
He was leading the latest protest against ICE’s presence in Minnesota.
“I keep the heat up in my apartment, and this is the warmest I’ve ever felt,” Koets said after the protest. “Just surrounded by the warm bodies and faces of all the people who came out and made a difference today. So truthfully, I’m not cold at all.”
The protest took place in Minnesota State University’s Centennial Student Union Mall. It was organized by Mavericks for Change with Koets as president.
“Mavericks for Change is a progressive advocacy organization here on campus. Our goal has always been to provide a safe, affordable, prestigious education to a diverse array of students and so that’s why we came out to protest today — because ICE represents the exact opposite of that,” said Koets, an MSU senior.
In a call before the event, he said he was anticipating about 45-50 students. Instead, more than 100 students crowded the outdoor space, many staying for the full duration of the protest.
Three of those students who came out were Abby Rasmussen, Taylor Penning and Camber Dejarley.
Dejarley and Rasmussen’s mothers are both immigrants, and Dejarley is Indigenous. For them, attending the protest means standing up for their communities.
“(My mom) makes this county a lot better. It’s disgusting how so many immigrants who work so hard are treated so awfully,” Rasmussen said.
“No one is illegal on stolen land. I stand on that,” Dejarley said. “ICE does not belong here.”
The events of Jan. 7, when an ICE agent shot and killed Renee Good in Minneapolis, has sent shockwaves throughout the state. And while what’s happening in Minnesota right now could be a cause for fear, for the students in attendance, it’s also a reason to fight back.
“Since Jan. 7, a lot of people are a lot more comfortable being outwardly bigoted, and I think that there definitely is an increase in violence, both verbal and physical, and it definitely brings me unease, but it also makes me more passionate,” Rasmussen said.
Protest with a purpose
The protest Thursday remained peaceful. Protesters gathered, drank coffee and ate doughnuts while chanting, and one attendee passed out hand warmers.
During the gathering, Koets turned the attention to the lawmakers and representatives of the area calling for them to do better. He and protesters denounced 1st District Congressman Brad Finstad’s statements supporting ICE following the killing of Good and called for his removal from office.
Koets also talked about a moment at the Mankato City Council meeting Monday, when councilors left the makeshift chambers at the civic center due to a hostile crowd, which took over the dais until the council was able to return.
“What happened at that City Council meeting was an immense display of cowardice and incompetence (from the council members) and if they wanted to keep that room under control, all they had to do was listen to the concerns of the community. I don’t care how long it would have made that meeting. You should have every second of your day dedicated to serving the people who voted you into office and I hope that I can see better from the City Council in the future,” he said.
There was at least one moment of joy at the protest. Right as Koets began calling for the release of Mohammed Hoque, an MSU student detained by ICE for a second time, a member of the crowd ran up and whispered in Koets’ ear that Hoque had been released. He then got to announce that news to the crowd.
“It was fantastic. … It filled me with that same feeling of renewed hope that we can see justice in our communities for what’s been happening lately,” Koets said.
Leaders of tomorrow
Koets says it’s vital students make their voices heard and that they take the charge when it comes to pushing for change.
“Historically, students have led these kinds of movements because they recognize these very same injustices from the history books that they see in their classes,” he said.
Penning agrees and notes that this particular protest drew a much larger crowd than those in the past.
“It’s really inspiring to see it because I’ve been a protest on campus before, and they’ve always been small. But this one has really turned out great. I’m really proud to be here,” she said.
Their work is made much easier with the university in their corner, which Koets believes they have.
“I know that we have the support of the university and the administrators and we’ve been ensured through conversations with the student government that there will be a stringent response to ICE in the future,” he said. “Our responsibility is to make sure that actually happens.”