Have Your Say: Are the student strikes and economic boycotts effective against ICE?
We asked students whether they think the recent actions to protest ICE will make a difference.
Audrey Davis, Nursing
Yes and no. I think it depends on the stores that are shutting down. I feel like if we're giving more to the Latin and BIPOC community, to the stores that are open, it's more effective. But everybody is just shutting down… Yes, it does stop the corporate dollar and everything, but it doesn't do much in the face of what's going on right now, with people being taken away from their families and homes and everything.
Danny, Engineering
It’s effective because it gets their attention.
Rachel Nannini, Counselor with DSPS (Disability Services and Programs for Students)
I'd have to look at how successful we were at actually getting people to participate and not pay for things, because I know there were also people that were, instead of doing your economic strike entirely, were supporting only local and people-of-color businesses that couldn't afford to take the time (to close). So I thought that was really cool.
I did look up if faculty at the lowest pay scale were to strike, and say they were calling out and asked not to be paid that day, they would cost the federal government about $78 in taxes. So if you want to do the math… You can figure out how many dollars that would have cost the federal government if the whole campus system did it.
Tyler Powers, Business Administration
I definitely think it is effective. I think the economic boycott is definitely more effective than maybe the protests. Not that the protests aren't effective, but in terms of what the current administration views as problematic, the stock market and how the economy is doing. So if we're boycotting big tech and choosing to opt out, and it's affecting their stock prices, then they're definitely going to start listening.
Rhenangely Matos, Registered Nursing
In my opinion, [they’re] not effective at all. I think it's pretty sad what is happening right now regarding ICE and everything else. I'm 100% against it. I don't think you should be fighting like animals like that. I think you should be fighting with love.
