By Arren Joseph-White
The city of Pensacola, like many other cities in America, has been using its right to protest against the recent ensemble of ICE raids and deportation of immigrants. Since January 2025, Pensacola has seen several protests, including strikes, shutdowns, and school walkouts. Most of the protests have been organized by the Gulf Coast Party for Socialism & Liberation (PSL), which is housed at the Pensacola Liberation Center. While there have been multiple events thus far, neither organization nor the everyday people plan to stop the fight anytime soon.
For anyone unfamiliar, United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE for short, is a federal agency that focuses on immigration laws and the deportation of illegal immigrants. Over the past few years, ICE had a number of public controversies that affected its credibility. Their concerning methods of enforcement have been putting the American people in concern (and in many cases, danger). The most recent string of outrage comes from the wrongful killing of several American citizens by agents; the most prominent ones being Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old American citizen, Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse who was also American, and Keith Porter Jr., who was killed by an off-duty agent of ICE on New Year’s Eve. Both Good and Pretti were shot and killed in Minneapolis, and Porter in California; their unjust killings have caused tensions to soar all around the US since January 2026.
It all started when there was a meeting on January 25th at 1 pm. The PSL hosted a meeting at the Liberation Center to provide information on the situation in Minneapolis and help to build the local fight. After that, they hit the ground running. The 26th was the first, and the second (on January 30th) included a general strike of several local businesses, including the Open Books Book Store, Jitterbug Beverage Co., and Craft Bakery. Both events were on the corner of Palafox and Garden street, seeing participants all the way down to the Martin Luther King Jr. Plaza. The protests, which both remained peaceful, had hundreds of attendees with signs and passion. Chants such as “ICE out” and “The people, united, will never be defeated” were filling the air. The crowds were diverse, seeing people from all walks of life to support a common cause.
Young students even got in on the movement. Students at Pensacola High School participated in a walkout a few weeks ago. They stood at the main entrance of the school after walking out of their classes, similar to others around the country. In some cases, teachers and staff supposedly blocked doorways, threatened referrals, and did whatever possible to keep students in classrooms. Unfortunately, many students have been threatened with disciplinary action and possible suspension for their acts. Some people in the community have been contacting the school board to avoid this, and the PSL has shown its support online.
College students even got in on the walkout; UWF had a walkout on February 3rd, and PSC’s was held on the following Thursday. Both events saw dozens of students outside their campus, showing their support. It was PSC that caused the most worry with students, as they just signed an agreement with ICE. The agreement now allows campus police to participate in ICE training and delegate enforcement on campus. Despite this change, many PSC students have expressed a dislike for this development. For one-on-one comments and interviews from students on campus, check the Corsair’s social media profiles.
Even after all of this, the fight is nowhere near over. There are plenty of ways to help. Don’t know where to start? Not to worry! The PSL is constantly organizing and hosting events where the community can be involved. More information can be found on social media profiles: pensacola liberation center (Instagram), Pensacola Liberation Center (Facebook), and psl_cgc (Instagram), and they have a Linktree in their Instagram bio. The Pensacola Liberation Center is currently housed at 2737 North E Street, and constantly has events going on open to the public. For national information on the Socialist and Liberation Party, go to liberationnews.org. As for now, the best thing you can do as a reader and an everyday citizen is to educate yourself and speak out. There are people whose voices need elevation, and the best way to help them is to learn their struggles and fight for them with peace and unity.
