Two hours after Donald Trump was officially sworn in as the 47th President of the United States on Monday, a crowd gathered outside of Los Angeles City Hall to advocate for the rights of immigrants, workers and students alike.
The march, “We Fight Back,” comprised a culmination of organizations joined on Spring Street with one common goal: to protest the Trump administration.
Among the shouting protesters stood CSUN students, determined to have their voices heard. Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), Anakbayan Northridge and CSUN’s Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA) were among the groups in attendance. A shared fear between the three was the threat against migrant students on campus.

In his executive orders signed on his first day, the president declared a national state of emergency at the border, attempted to end birthright citizenship and enhanced screening measures for immigrants, including those already inside of the United States. With these new actions, the marchers said they now fear for the safety of their friends on campus.
“At Cal State Northridge, we have a diverse community with many migrants. Many students either are migrants or of migrant background,” said Edel Evangelista, a member of Anakbayan Northridge at CSUN, which fights for national democracy in the Philippines.
According to James Mckeever, the AFT 1521 Los Angeles College Faculty Guild president, with the fear of deportation, there could also come a hesitation from incoming students to attend universities. If a student is undocumented or is a child of undocumented parents, Mckeever said Trump’s new orders could dissuade those individuals from achieving a higher education if put in a position where they must disclose their immigration status.
Mckeever also shares this same concern in regards to incoming LGBTQIA+ students, as Trump stated in his inauguration speech, he intends to end diversity and inclusion programs during his term. During his first hours in office, the president signed an executive action declaring the U.S. government would only recognize two unchangeable sexes, male and female.
“That would be devastating to the college system itself,” Mckeever said. “Devastating to their dreams and their ability to accomplish their dreams.”

A different issue prevalent was the already rising cost of tuition. On Sept. 13, 2023, California State University’s Board of Trustees announced in a press release that they had approved a proposal that would “increase tuition by six percent per year for five years.” Now, as Trump steps into office for a second time, many worry about college becoming more unaffordable.
Guadalupe Blancas, a board member of YDSA CSUN who marched in front of City Hall, has witnessed the rise in tuition and said she is concerned that it will increase further if CSU puts corporate interest above the needs of students.
“It used to be that you told your parents that you got into college, and they’re like, ‘Yay!’ and now it’s like, ‘Let’s talk about student loans and maybe we can help you pay them back,’” said Mckeever.
However, Mckeever wants students to know that the Los Angeles College Faculty Guild “has their back,” which is why he attended the march along with colleagues.
While the safety and security of those seeking higher education was a driving point with marchers, a new issue also became a major talking point. With the recent fires spreading throughout Los Angeles County, the protestors said they noticed a lack of relief effort from their school and city officials.
Evangelista spent his days after the initial outbreak volunteering with Anakbayan Northridge to help with relief efforts for those who had been evacuated and lost their homes. He said while the City Council was concerned with arresting looters, the victims of the fires were more worried about having access to resources like power and food.
“We want our city council to know that they are the real looters, and our organization is going to be on the ground with the people,” Evangelista said. “The students at Northridge play a big part in that too.”
Despite many protestors stating that they had many anxieties about the next four years, the students marching said that community was their way of getting through these uncertain times.
“Join an organization and start reaching out to your community,” Blancas said. “Because we can’t change things overnight, but we can at least be here for our community.”
