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The Need for Coalition? The Need for Collaboration? [1]

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Date: 2025-04-20

To avoiding mincing words, Florida International University has chosen to collaborate with fascists. Specifically Florida International University has made a direct deal with ICE to deport international students (Miami Herald). The irony of an international university deporting international students is ironic in the most palpable and tragic way. Actions against international student have already been underway when on April 10th, 2025 18 FIU students had their F-1 visas revoked (Miami New Times). This transforms an educational space into a trap, a zone where students fear they can be deported for any reason even if they have done all the right steps and have all the right paperwork.



There is a need to have coalition against such needless and unjust actions. I praise FIU students and faculty who stood up and will continue to stand up against fascist collaboration. There is no need to worry about being perfect, but we want to always do better in standing up for important causes.



There were two protests at FIU against the university’s agreement with ICE, one on April 16th and the other on April 17th. These separate protests were organized by two separate organizations Free FIU and Unite FIU who, according to an Engage Miami organizer I spoke with, did not communicate with one another. If Free FIU and Unite FIU had worked together there could have been a larger sustained demonstration against the illegal and immoral deportation of innocent international students.



In going to the second Miami “Hands Off” protest at the Torch of Friendship on April 19th, I was flooded with a sea of disconnected organizations ranging in views from Democratic Socialists of America Miami to the Coral Gables Democratic Party. There was some hopeful progress on collaboration here, a representative of the Miami Democratic Executive Committee told me that an open event calendar was being worked that all interested groups could view.



More of this collaboration upon what we share is needed, every little issue cannot be a divider, especially in the face of fascism. No one needs to change their ideas or ideology. Instead, we should unite around the shared goals of improving people’s conditions, material or otherwise. This includes agreements on universal healthcare, disability accessibility, bodily autonomy, food insecurity, access to clean water, a fair immigration system, and infrastructure improvements ti name a few items to rally around. If we could really around these types of items there would not be obvious organizational disunity. Why not have many independent to semi-independent organizations under a common cause or causes.



Simply put we need to work together in such a way that stops or slows down fascist actions. Join with people who share your general goals, not just your specific goals. May we act in the spirit of Jesse Jackson’s Rainbow Coalition.

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