Hundreds of protestors assembled on the New Haven Green this weekend to protest Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) action. According to Yale Daily News, these protestors said they were frustrated with what they described as an intensification of immigration enforcement and the effect it had on their families.

Managed by immigrant rights groups, the rally saw students, activists and community members gather and hold signs as they chanted and listened to speakers urge ICE to leave their New Haven neighborhoods. Protests criticized federal enforcement and talked about the impacts of immigration policies on Connecticut families, according to WTNH.

The protest stemmed from news of ICE arrests in New Haven earlier that week, and it came days after news of the shooting of Renee Good that the Yale Daily News had reported brought many people to the New Haven Green. They gathered to push leaders to rethink the current immigration enforcement policies.

Students from nearby towns, such as Westport, noted that ICE hasn’t been fulfilling its proper duties.

“I believe ICE was created with a legitimate purpose, but in recent years, its actions have often moved away from their beliefs,” Demeil Betfarhad ’26 said. “As a child of two immigrant parents, this has made me aware of how fragile our sense of safety really is.”

Other students felt disturbed by ICE involvement in New Haven.

“Westport is a safe and supportive area,” Jay Nicholds ’26 said. “But the protests made it clear that not everyone has that same sense of safety.”