Social work students, partnered with the Wright State University (WSU) chapter of The Ohio Student Association (OSA), organized a classroom walkout on Feb. 3. The organization invited students and faculty to protest Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
With Temporary Protective Statuses for Haitian Immigrants pending expiration, the Haitian population in Springfield is at risk for deportation, leaving an expected presence of ICE in the Dayton area.
Jennifer Bush is a junior social work student at WSU who was involved in the planning and promotion of the walkout. While Bush is not currently a member of OSA, she voiced that the cause is near to her.
"I'm from Springfield, Ohio, and if you know anything about that, you know we have a large Haitian congregation. So recently, about last year, they decided that they were going to deport the Haitian immigrants, despite them having protected status," Bush said. "And I can't stand for that. They are good people, and they deserve to be there. So, I felt the need to speak out for my neighbors and my friends."
Jamie Davis is the Vice President of the newly founded OSA on campus. Gaining organization status during the Fall 2025 semester, the OSA has the goal of bringing students' voices forward.
“We saw all of the stuff happening in Minnesota, but when it was announced that they were going to be in Springfield, we knew the time was now,” Davis said.
Rochelle Woodson, OSA President and a junior social work major, was the main organizer of the event. She explained that she has been to several protests, but this was the first one she organized.
“Everyone is really angry right now," Woodson said. “People want to be out there doing or saying something.”
Woodson led the students throughout the campus, providing them with various chants that the group alternated between.
“People need to be loud and move when they are angry,” Woodson said. “Letting that out in some way, whether that’s stomping your feet, clapping, yelling [or] singing, I always think it is a good way to bring people together.”
The protest spanned from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., with both students and faculty present. The gallery below highlights the attendees during their walk around campus.
"You can't let that anger go to fear. You have to let that go towards action. And you are not the only person angry about these things, so just [find] the community or the organization of people that also feel the same way," Woodson said.
OSA is holding a meeting that will be open to the public on Friday, Feb. 6. It will be in the Student Union's Emerald Room at 7:30 p.m.
