In January 2025, Arizona State University junior Britney Vera scrolled past a social media post she thought seemed too outrageous to be real: A campus club was promoting an event where students could “report your illegal classmates” to federal immigration authorities.
Organized by College Republicans United, the plan prompted Vera and her peers in Aliento at ASU — a group supporting undocumented students and those from mixed-status families — to swiftly coordinate a protest.
After members of the club set up a table on campus, hundreds of students marched around them in opposition, with some holding signs that read “our diversity is our power” and “let us learn.” Vera recalled the moment as a powerful high. Within hours though, she was deflated when ASU issued a statement defending the club’s right to free speech while condemning its message…