A new AI data center under construction in Vineland is causing controversy across South Jersey. The project began construction last year and many community members have expressed concern about the environment and its impact on their lives. 

This AI data center campus was developed by DataOne and backed by Amsterdam-based Nebius Group in Vineland, New Jersey. This is a $17.4 billion, five-year deal to provide dedicated computing power to Microsoft. The project is a 2.4 million-square feet facility, designed to reach 300 megawatts of electricity, serving AI, cloud computing, and Microsoft, using gas-fired power. Important to note that 300 megawatts is nearly double the current power usage of the entire city of Vineland.

In June of 2025, New Jersey legislature passed a bill requiring data centers to report energy and water use to the Board of Public Utilities each quarter, but the bill was vetoed in October by Governor Murphy. There are currently around eighty other data centers in the state. 

Approval of the data center in Vineland has caused immense amounts of friction among local residents over the environmental “cost” of the AI boom. On January 21, 2026, a heated town hall at the Landis Theater took place, where residents expressed their concerns over what an AI plant means for the environment. 

DataOne CEO Charles-Antoine Beyney told the audience that the facility would operate differently from traditional data centers. Beyney told the crowd that data centers, “…consume water, they pollute, they are extremely not efficient. This is clearly not what we are building here.” He eased some concerns, however, initial reports state that the facility could require 1.1 million gallons of water annually for cooling. 

Another concern has been that this data plant will disrupt residential neighborhoods, seeing as there will be a constant hum due to the cooling fans required to keep the thousands of GPUs from melting. 

For Rutgers–Camden students, the data center will inevitably create a number of construction jobs, and may have a long-term impact on tech employment for graduates in the South Jersey region. Students who study environmental sciences, can consider the Vineland site a living lab. The facility uses “behind-the-meter” gas generators and air-cooling as opposed to water-intensive liquid cooling. This would offer a specific field for students studying sustainable technology. 

To keep up with developments surrounding the data center, information can be found through the Vineland city council and Vineland town hall meetings as well as press releases from Nebius.

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When asked how they feel about the protests in Philadelphia, Ryan Harris, a student at Rutgers Camden, said, “I think that it’s disgusting that ICE is in Philly. I think that it’s clearly targeting places where the election was more in favor of Kamala Harris instead of Donald Trump, and I think that that’s the administration’s goal is to scare the people that voted more democratically.”

In recent months, shootings involving federal immigration officers have drawn national attention leading to a rise in protests. After two shootings were documented on video in the state of Minnesota, reports circulated suggesting that Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, could be a future location for federal immigration activity. 

In light of this, Philadelphia’s Sheriff Rochelle Bilal sent a warning to ICE agents in a press release saying, “If any of them want to come in this city and commit a crime, you will not be able to hide.” 

Along with the sheriff’s warning, Philadelphia residents and the Black Lion Party for International Solidarity (BLP) have publicly stated their opposition to ICE operations in the city. In recent weeks, residents and the BLP have organized rallies, strikes, and protests aimed at community mobilization and mutual support.

In the first week of January, Philadelphia residents held vigils for Renee Good, a Minneapolis resident who was fatally shot by a federal immigration officer, according to video footage. In the weeks that followed, they continued to organize in support of Minnesota residents and to call for ICE to refrain from operating in Philadelphia.

On Monday, January 26, to protest ICE activity and policies, hundreds of Philly residents gathered in front of city hall. Right around this same time, Chairman of BLP, Paul Birdsong, officially announced the new name of the organization, formerly the Black Panther Party for Self Defense, and that the group began additional community outreach efforts during this period.

Via a collaborative social media post on Instagram @chairmanpaulbirdsong, @yoskiip, and @revolutionary_by_nature shared information directing individuals in need of food, groceries, or baby formula to 2123 Gratz St, Philadelphia, PA 19121.

In most of Chairman Paul’s other social media posts, he starts his videos by saying, “All power to the people.” This phrase has appeared frequently in messaging connected to recent protests and community events.

When asked if they believe that the protests will be beneficial, Harris says, “I think that the protests, while they’re in good faith, I don’t know if they’re going to do anything, because what we need to be doing is calling our legislators. Otherwise, change will not happen. They will not listen to you unless you harass them, which is unfortunate, but the way that it is right now.”

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Voters across the nation have reported in exit polls and online that they think the average age of their elected leaders is far too high. One Rutgers Camden student is aiming to change that, at least for the voters of New Jersey’s 12th congressional district.

In an email circulated to select student organizations on November 14th, Economics major and prospective Class of 2026 graduate, Carlos Rodriguez, announced that he is seriously contemplating a run for the seat of Representative Bonnie Watson Coleman, who herself announced that she would not be running for the 119th Congress beginning in 2027. The email listed several motivating factors and his contact information as well as prospective next steps and interest forms for interested students.

His efforts come at a time of increased political activity in the Garden State, with the recent 2025 gubernatorial race showing the highest turnout in over twenty years: in Camden County alone there was a 10% surge in voters to a total of 48% of all registered voters. A youthful candidate could be very welcome to the newly awakened voters of the country. 

Andrew Hoover, a Political Science major, when hearing about the potential new candidate, had the following to say: “I’m interested how this person is younger, and I’m very- that’s very appealing, as I believe younger people should get involved in politics.”

If his intentions are true and he if wins, he would be particularly young compared to his contemporaries: the average age of members in the House of Representatives is around 63 years old per congress.gov. However, the tide towards younger members is growing, especially with the recent election of 28-year-old Maxwell Frost in Florida. 

Rodriguez, with his birthday in December, would only have been of age to legally serve in congress for around a month at the time of his swearing in, should he win election. He’s also no stranger to politics, having once previously ran for his local board of education when he was twenty years old.

The reasons he thinks it is necessary were outlined in his email. Among them, inflation and falling purchasing power as well as a lack of job prospects, a lack of home options for younger generations, and an entrenched political system. “The issues that plague the country, plague New Jersey, plague our generation, are federal issues that have to be solved at a federal level. That’s the reason I’m jumping into this race.”

His focus now is putting together a team that will help him run, which he plans to oversee from a custom Discord server among other places. The Discord, named Project Olympus to allude to the Greek Gods who were eaten by their father Cronos to prevent them from assuming power, is supposed to evoke a similar overthrowing of entrenched older powers.

“I think a lot of older folks can underestimate what younger people can do, and I’m not going to underestimate what my peers can do.” He reports around 20 people have approached him within the first week of his announcement, and so far around 5 have been slotted into volunteer roles. 

Knowing that moving from a life of relative anonymity to a life in the public eye as an elected official would be a very big change, Carlos said: “It’s terrifying for many reasons, but I think it’s necessary.”

When asked if he thought his youth could be a liability, he said: “I think it would be a lie to say that isn’t a risk or an attack factor, but I think historically speaking, young people are the ones that really kind of move the needle in history” and cited the examples of Joan of Arc, Alexander the Great, Mary Shelley, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Notable details from Rodriguez are a refusal to take donations from corporate sources or other wealthy backers as well as a stated intent to resist federal immigration activity. A signature piece of policy, he said, would be a ban on false or fluffed up job listings. 

“I think we’ve all kind of felt the pain of getting our data harvested by submitting our resume for a job we thought was exciting and then it turning out not to have been a legit opportunity. I think that’s deceptive, I think that’s fraudulent, and I think that the government needs to crack down on that,” he remarked on the issue.

Newcomers in state elections usually have worse odds than incumbents, and he put himself at around a 10% to win the primary, but isn’t letting it get in his head – “If I were afraid of long odds, I don’t think you would want me in congress in the first place.”

His final elevator pitch: “I’m running because our generation is the first that’s been told to expect less than their parents.”

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For students at Rutgers-Camden, the national housing crisis is a source of anxiety, academic distraction, and long-term uncertainty. With the cost of both on-campus and off-campus living steadily increasing in the Philadelphia/ South Jersey region, students are being forced to make difficult trade-offs that directly affect their college experience. 

The perspective of Lauren Rich, a student residing at 330 Cooper Street, one of the university’s newer on-campus housing options, highlights the core dilemma; choosing convenience over cost-efficiency often leads to deep financial stress. 

“High housing costs and the stress of making sure rent /fees are paid definitely raise my anxiety,” Rich stated. “Even though 330 Cooper is convenient, the price feels high for what we get, and worrying about affordability adds to overall stress, especially during busy academic weeks.” 

Rich raises a major challenge that while on-campus living at Rutgers-Camden offers valuable amenities like security, proximity to classes and complimentary laundry, the per-semester rates place a heavy burden on students already managing tuition and fees. 

The student acknowledges that although their choice of on-campus housing, while financially stressful, provides the benefit of convenience. Being close to class and campus events directly supports academic engagement. However, the compromise is visible in their description of the living conditions: “Yes, Cooper can get loud at times especially being right next to that main road and sharing spaces makes it harder to focus.” 

This suggests that even for a relatively high price, the quality of the academic environment is compromised by external factors such as traffic noise. The alternative would be living off-campus, however that is not necessarily cheaper, but involves different trade-offs. The high cost of housing, whether on or off campus, is a significant contributor to the mental health crisis among college students. 

The housing crisis forces students to consider not just their present college years, but their entire future in the region. Lauren Rich expressed a clear sense of hesitancy about establishing roots locally after graduation. “It makes me hesitant. Seeing how expensive rent is in the area makes me reconsider staying local after graduating because affordability feels uncertain.” This viewpoint is particularly concerning for South Jersey and Philadelphia, which rely on local universities to feed into their regional economies. 

Despite the widespread financial strain, the student body is aware of the campus resources designed to combat basic needs insecurity, “Yes, I know about the campus food pantry, emergency funds, and the Dean of Students office offering help. I haven’t personally used them, but I know other students who have relied on those resources.” The existence and utilization of these resources emphasize the importance of the issue of financial stability at a fundamental level. 

A direct solution to this presented by the student was, “Lower housing costs or create more affordable on-campus options. Even small fee reductions or more transparency about where housing money goes would make a big difference.” This highlights a desire for transparency and proactive affordability measures from the university administration, suggesting that small adjustments could significantly reduce student anxiety and improve the overall academic experience. 

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Students on the Rutgers-Camden campus have felt high levels of frustration and stress over the government shutdown. For students and their families, the political standstill in Washington was not just a news story, but a direct threat to their finances, studies, and future stability. 

In an interview, a sophomore student captured the mood with a mix of “frustration and anger,” noting the unfairness to federal workers “forced to find other ways to sustain themselves,” despite having secured government jobs. This frustration is tied to how the local impact of the Philadelphia-Camden metro area is home to an estimated 33,000 to 56,000 federal employees. 

The student’s concern about federal employees being forced to find secondary work is entirely valid. When the government closes, thousands of local employees lose their paychecks, yet the cost of living does not take breaks. Essential staff at critical hubs like the Philadelphia International Airport, including TSA officers and air traffic controllers, are designated “excepted” and are required to work without pay. This situation not only creates immense personal strain for those employees but leads to the kind of operational disruptions the student noted. 

As this student observed, “Some people just don’t work. They don’t go where they usually go, which slows everything down, and lines get longer, and people have to wait longer. We are seeing that a lot with the airports.” 

This reduced activity goes beyond security lines. Local restaurants, coffee shops, and small businesses in Camden and Philadelphia that rely on the daily spending of federal employees. Local companies that depend on federal contracts face frozen payments and delayed funding, creating a ripple effect of financial instability across South Jersey’s corporate landscape. 

For Rutgers-Camden students, the anxiety quickly translates into worries about their education and academic progress. The student expressed immediate concern that the shutdown might, “affect how much money I would get from financial aid, which, in the long term, might up my loans and all the other stuff I didn’t think I would have to worry about.” While core functions like the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) processing and the disbursement of Pell Grants and federal student loans generally continue, the student’s worry is well-rounded. 

The Department of Education typically furloughs around 87% of its workforce during a shutdown. This staffing reduction means that while the automated systems keep running, any complicated issues will face significant delays. Additionally, The Office of Federal Student Aid closes customer service centers staffed by DOE employees, making it harder for students to resolve crucial financial issues. 

Perhaps the most lasting consequence of the shutdown noted by the student is the damage to public trust in government. When asked about the long-term consequences of, the student simply replied, “I think it’s trust because who knows when it might happen again?” 

As the political halt continues in Washington, students at Rutgers-Camden are left to manage the very real financial and emotional costs of a government shutdown.  

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Amid the government shutdown, millions of Americans have been questioning how they’re going to feed themselves and their families after Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” was passed and SNAP benefits have faced severe cuts and restrictions. Currently, SNAP has been reinstated following the reopening of the U.S. government, but some benefits have been delayed, decreased, or are no longer accessible due to new regulations. 

According to ABC News, “Nearly 42 million Americans, including low income families and vulnerable households, rely on SNAP, or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, to help pay for groceries or other household essentials.” 

ABC News also shared that, “Under the mega bill, the upper age limit for those who need to meet work requirements was raised from age 54 to 64 for the first time for able bodied adults without dependents.” 

These new regulations brought down by the Trump administration will leave millions of Americans without the benefits needed to feed their families. In light of this, many people are forced to rely on local food banks, or food pantries. 

When asked what this could mean for food pantries moving forward, Jilliane Jaugan, VP and community outreach chair for Cooking For Camden, and a current sophomore in nursing at Rutgers Camden says, “SNAP benefits are essential for many people to buy groceries and be able to eat. It is heartbreaking that this federal program has been cut resulting in many people not knowing when their next meal is and increasing food insecurity.  Due to these cuts, I do think more people will be relying on food banks.  However, these food banks have also faced a huge blow due to the Emergency Food Assistance Program budget being cut this year. With the influx of people relying on food banks and budget cuts, food banks are also facing uncertainty with their sustainability. I do hope with the current media focus on food banks/pantries, that other corporations, organizations, institutions, and even individuals are inspired to give back to their local communities by donating monetary or food donations or simply spreading awareness.” 

These cuts to food assistance programs, and the reliance on food banks comes at such a dire time for the people who utilize them, especially considering that grocery prices are higher than ever, meaning it may be harder in the coming months for people to donate extra food to local food pantries. 

When asked how they feel about the current cuts to SNAP, Camryn Champion, a student at Rutgers Camden says, “I feel like it’s so unfair and also evil to take away benefits given to millions of struggling citizens that were helping them survive.” 

Many Americans feel the same, so much so, that it has led to some democratic led states to take action. 

The Hill says, “Democratic officials in 21 states and Washington D.C., sued the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on Wednesday, alleging that it is “arbitrarily” excluding many lawful permanent residents from receiving food assistance benefits.” 

The response from democratic officials is the start of what could be lengthy pushback in the following months as more people begin to face food insecurity. 

When asked if anyone at Cooking For Camden has voiced their concerns about SNAP being cut, Jaugan says, “As Cooking for Camden, our main mission is to serve those in Camden who might not have easy access to hot, nutritious meals. I firmly believe that food is a right and not a privilege and no one should be denied that no matter their life circumstances. These past months, we have discussed how SNAP benefits are being cut and to expect an influx of guests to come in during our lunch services and to be prepared. We have noticed the number of guests increasing a lot and we are running out of food quicker these past few services. Just like food banks and pantries, funding and budgeting is a big concern for our organization as we often fund our services and purchase the food. We are currently searching for ways to gain funding and grants to ensure we can keep our services running for the many guests we serve every week! Although, as a student organization, we feel that we do not have a lot of power to make huge changes like reinstate SNAP benefits or provide millions of funding for these food programs, we continue to try to make little changes in the community by providing at least one hot meal and being a place of consistent support for the people we serve weekly!” 

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Budget cuts under the Trump administration have left several important offices with little to no staff members. One of the departments that suffered immensely under the new presidential administration is the Department of Education. According to an article from ABC News, “Officials shuttered seven of the 12 regional offices of the agency’s Office for Civil Rights, leaving a skeleton staff to investigate thousands of complaints filed each year, according to attorneys and advocates for the disabled.”

Within the Department of Education, offices that ensure protections for students with disabilities are one of many that have been on the receiving end of all of the major budget cuts that Trump and his cabinet have signed off on. 

The Office of Civil Rights, or OCR, falls under the Department of Education and its purpose is to ensure equal access to education for students with disabilities across the country. Similar to the OCR, the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS), is also under the Department of Education and serves people with disabilities and their families across the United States. Since Trump took office in January of this year, both of these offices have lost nearly all of their staff members, with the exception of a few officials.

A freshman at Rutgers Camden, Dejia Robert, says in response to Trump’s budget cuts to the Education Department, “I feel like it really reflects his principles, and it shows he only cares about the rich and powerful, and he doesn’t really care about everyday people. He’s really only focused on one demographic, and he’s taking away from one demographic to support another, and in doing that he’s keeping the rich, rich. Overall, I feel that it’s wrong.” This is a sentiment that has been voiced by many across the country since Trump took office and began gutting federal departments and offices, like the Office of Civil Rights. 

On a more local level, Rutgers–Camden’s Office of Disability Services is there to ensure that students on campus will always have resources to turn to for accommodations and accessibility, despite the current unease due to the political climate in the United States. 

When asked about how the layoffs could affect accessibility for students moving forward, Dr. Vanessa LaFreda, a coordinator for the Office of Disability Services, says, “The first thing that comes to my mind is really trying to enforce the ADA to ensure accommodations are available to students. I know a lot of students and families really rely on the Office of Disability Services and the Office of Civil Rights, who are essentially responsible for enforcing ADA accommodations.” The Office of Disability Services, located in offices 133-135 of the Paul Robeson Library, can help students at Rutgers Camden with their accommodation needs via scheduled appointments. 

When asked about any plans they may have in place for students with disabilities at Rutgers–Camden, on the off chance the campus feels the effects of these lay offs, Erin Leuthold, the director for the Office of Disability Services, remarks, “Technically the scope of our work is equal access to education, and because of the relationship with students and trust that they place in our office we help prepare them as a student, while also preparing them for what comes next, like workplace accommodations, how to advocate for yourself, and how to prepare students with as much information as possible in order to make decisions.” 

Not only is the Office of Disability Services at Rutgers Camden there to help students with their needs, but their offices are also there to help prepare students with disabilities for their future. 

 Lastly, Dr. LaFreda adds, “While all of this is happening at the federal level, the Office of Disability Services at Rutgers Camden is actually larger than it has ever been, and we are still dedicated to student disability access.”

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In a country founded on dissent and protest against a higher authority and in an age of political turmoil, protests have once again become common currency in the minds of Americans in cities large and small. Saturday October 18th, the spectre of political assembly once again arrived as the No Kings II protests kicked off. In addition to protests in cities large and small across the nation and a flagship protest in nearby Philadelphia, a No Kings II event was held in Collingswood, NJ. 

According to Camden County Emergency Services, over 8,000 protestors were in attendance. No protest-related arrests or injuries were reported, and pro-trump counterprotestor presence was minimal with one or two trucks reported by marchers bearing MAGA iconography driving down Haddon Avenue. In addition to the protestors, special speakers were in attendance like Congressman Donald Norcross, who spoke on the government shutdown and the controversial Project 2025 platform, as well as Muhammad Emanet whose parents were targeted in a high profile ICE detention earlier this year.

No Kings is an event planned by progressive protest organization Indivisible, whose splinter groups have been behind other protests and have partnered with groups like the 50501 movement in the past ten months of Donald Trump’s second term as president. The prior No Kings event was held on June 14 in cities across the country, including Collingswood. The protests are aimed at attracting public attention and expressing discontent with the actions taken by the Trump administration, with protestors’ motivations ranging from ICE and immigration policy to questions of free speech.

A website claiming to belong to the organizers, nokings.org, had a front page that read: “On October 18, more than 7 million of us rose up at more than 2,700 events in all 50 states, DC, and cities worldwide to say: America has no kings, and the power belongs to the people.” Elsewhere, it had a graphic that boasted attendance fourteen times larger than both of Trump’s inaugurations combined.

Still, some people like Lucas, a RUC finance major, were more skeptical towards the protests: “I’m in disagreement with [the protests], I honestly wish [the administration] had gone with more budget cuts. Honestly, I think a lot of our tax dollars are wasted.”

While he disagrees with some of their initial motives, he does believe in their right to assemble: “That’s their right to do so. I don’t, you know, I don’t see why I should stop them.”

It would have taken a lot indeed to stop the crowd assembled alongside Haddonfield-Berlin Road, marching on either side of the street, chanting slogans, and carrying all manner of signage that spoke to their cause. All of them, from older protestors in costumes to young people there with families, said they were there to call attention to what they perceived as serious problems within and around the Trump presidency, such as his connection to convicted and disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. 

An anonymous protestor from Burlington county said, “There’s so much joy here. First of all, and I think that that’s an important part of it, it is a diverse group, which is amazing. There’s no violence here. No one was paid to be here. People are taking a beautiful day to show how much they care. That’s really it.”

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Rutgers University–Camden will host an event next month aimed at helping students better understand the importance of local and state politics.

The “Listen, Learn, Act” series will take place on Oct. 8 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:20 p.m. in the Campus Center’s South Conference Room BC. The program is designed to show students how policies enacted close to home can often impact their lives more directly than national politics.

The event is organized by Dr. Simanti Lahirir, program coordinator for Public Engagement at Rutgers–Camden. Lahirir said the goal is to create space for conversations that are often overlooked: “We want students to not only hear about these issues but to reflect on what they mean in their own lives and communities.” 

Graduate student Allison Truax said she hopes the event will help her gain a stronger understanding of Camden politics. “As I’ve gotten older, I have started to care more about politics,” Truax said. “I follow it on social media and talk about it with friends, but I don’t really know much about what goes on in Camden, which is something I’m hoping to change.”

The program will feature policy experts and local practitioners who plan to break down complex issues into accessible information. Attendees will also have opportunities to ask questions and discuss how to turn political awareness into action.

The timing of the event coincides with New Jersey’s upcoming state and local elections. Organizers say they hope it will encourage students to stay informed, participate in civic life, and recognize the impact of politics beyond the national stage.

More information about the series is available on the Rutgers–Camden events calendar.

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Plans to Utilize Burlington County Military Base for Migrant Detention Raise Debate, Protests

The “immigration question” is a debate that is never far from the American consciousness, and has only grown more intense in the past decade. Now, for many South Jersey residents, it has come uncomfortably close to home once again.

In July, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced plans to use Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, known by most Burlington County residents as simply “Fort Dix,” as an immigrant detention facility. New Jersey Congressman Herb Conway was among the first to react publicly, with a video where he referred to the proposed site as “a Garden State Gulag.”
This move comes as just one of the latest in a string of moves by the federal government to crack down on what it says is a wave of migrant criminals. Indeed, the White House’s approach to immigration has been characterized by masked operatives toting rifles in American cities and even accusations of illegal renditioning and torture. Despite those accusations, the Trump administration appears unfazed and even emboldened in the face of protest, with posts on social media taunting immigrants and framing the raids as patriotic and heroic.

Despite this, on Fridays and weekends, outside of the McGuire Gate to the Fort Dix compound, a small crowd of around thirteen to fourteen people can be seen with signs and bullhorns. Their message? They find the notion of keeping immigrants at Fort Dix unacceptable. The protests are manned by members of the Bordentown Bridge Brigade, themselves a chapter of a nationwide network of protestors called Visibility Brigade. As part of a themed protest across the country, they were carrying signs encouraging passersby to “Be Brave With Us.”

A protestor and military veteran who identified himself as Chris claimed leadership over the group: 

“We’re primarily supporting our service members, our military families, and our constitution. We’re opposing ICE presence on base, and the proposal to build a concentration camp on base.”

Among the protestors were many family members of servicemembers as well as veterans who had themselves served in the past. One military spouse remarked,

“I’ve talked to many spouses and they have no idea this is happening. I’ve talked to people that think if it’s happening it’s a good thing, so I’d like to educate them on why this is not a good thing, and definitely just getting the word about because a shocking amount of people don’t know it’s happening.”

Amid supportive honks, shouts of encouragement, and some jeers from passersby on top of the August heat, many protestors showed energy and enthusiasm for their stated cause, and they said they primarily hoped to raise awareness to a population they claim is underinformed on the issue. Chris remarked:

“I want to bring much more awareness to the fact that they’re gonna build a concentration camp here. I would like our elected officials to do as much as possible to slow that down while recognizing there is a federal facility here. While it’s not Fort Dix proper, it’s not the Army, but Homeland Security wants to keep an ICE detainee camp here like [the one in Florida, Alligator Alcatraz]. They [Department of Homeland Security] are rounding people up with no warrants, they’re hiding their identities, they’re acting like the MAGA brownshirts.”

There was no formal response from the base in any publication or social media, and according to the protestors representatives came out to inquire on the nature of the protests and even give advice on where they could find the most engagement with passing traffic. Time will tell if this unofficial endorsement of the protests will stand. 

This is not the first time that locals to the area have been swept up in ICE raids and the debate surrounding them: amid rumored raids and ICE presence around Burlington and Camden Counties, Haddon Township fixture Jersey Kebab had its premises raided and its proprietors taken away, one of them to remain in custody for two weeks. 

Just as the family behind Jersey Kebab was eventually freed from custody, protestors were hopeful that their actions could have some effect on the attitudes of South Jersey residents towards immigrants. Chris mused on the question of the future of the immigration debate:

“It’s never too late until they’ve cancelled elections. When elections get cancelled and stop happening, it’ll be too late. Until then, support us. Students in particular, do you want to grow up under authoritarian rule where you don’t have free choice or free votes? I think it’s more important to younger people than to me. I’ve got a short amount of time to survive this. Students, you have the rest of your lives. You have to make this happen for you.”

The protestors also said that they would be returning to their space outside the McGuire Gate on a regular basis, weekly or monthly depending on their availability.

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