ND Students use silence to send powerful message about immigration

Students at Notre Dame are fighting to declare themselves a Sanctuary Campus. They held a demonstration in support of undocumented immigrant students there amid recent election results. Now, they’re asking administration to back them.

The students are using silence to send a powerful message loud and clear to the president of the university.

“America is where I grew up, New York City is where I grew up, this is where our home is so if you tell us to go back home, some of us we may not really have homes to go back to,” said Gargi Purohit, an organizer in the demonstration.

Notre Dame Students, like sophomore Gargi Purohit, led a silent protest in front of The Main Building on campus Wednesday supporting D.A.C.A and undocumented immigrants at the university.

They’re message was simple-

“We belong in this country and in this university and we have a right to education that will not be taken away via this election,” said Purohit.

So organizers led a walkout.

Instead of class, they marched to the main administration building looking for support in silence. Over the course of a week, organizers collected over 4,000 signatures for a petition.

“Look at how many faculty are supporting undocumented students on this campus. Look at how many faculty agree with the idea that Notre Dame should be a sanctuary campus,” said Purohit.

That petition was given to Father Jenkins during the demonstration.

“Father John just met with the delegation that was standing at the steps and he will examine the petition and what it seeks in a serious way. ” said Paul Browne, Vice President Of Communications at Notre Dame.