A march for immigrant rights drew hundreds in downtown Walla Walla. At 2 p.m., attendees gathered at the Walla Walla Plaza holding signs and Mexican and American flags.
Protestors marched from the Plaza to Cordiner Hall, ultimately marching a mile in the rain to Jeffersons Park, where the protest ended nearly two hours over the anticipated one-hour timeline. Vehicles, many sporting Mexican flags, honked their support throughout the march. Chants included the well-known “¡Sí se puede!,” and “say it once, say it twice, we will not put up with ICE.”
The event was led by Whitman Students Abigail Gonzalez ‘27 and Danny Hernandez ‘27. Hernandez and Gonzalez hatched the plan for a march over text the night of February 2nd, after hearing about protests in other locations.
“It was the Day Without Immigrants, and we saw that there was nothing going on. So we decided to organize this march,” Gonzalez said.
The march was part of the broader ‘Day Without Immigrants’ movement, which originated on Feb. 16, 2017 as a response to the Trump administration’s intentions to build a border wall and crack down on undocumented immigration. This time around, businesses have joined in nationwide, closing their doors in support of immigrants and their contributions to the nation.

The protest comes after a series of executive orders by President Donald J. Trump targeting immigrants and asylum seekers from numerous Latin American countries. Trump recently stated he would order the Pentagon and the Department of Homeland Security to prepare a facility at Guantanamo Bay to detain up to 30,000 illegal immigrants. The move prompted comparison to concentration camps, and sparked further conversation about the United States’ inhumane treatment of migrants.
Gonzalez and Hernandez created a poster and uploaded it to Instagram and Facebook just seventeen hours before the protest of approximately 150 people.
“I wasn’t expecting this big of a turnout. It’s very overwhelming, I wasn’t sure if I was going to get enough traction for this, I didn’t think that many people were going to come. I’m so proud of everyone that came out on this day. We were supposed to stay home and really not show ourselves,” Gonzalez said.
Gonzalez and Hernandez gave their loudspeaker to a man wearing a traditional Aztec hat.

“They just really want their voices to be heard with everything going on. I feel like overall, people are just really proud of their heritage and where they’re coming from. Having that opportunity to speak out and share their stories–they’re feeling really empowered right now,” Gonzalez said.
Protesters also expressed concern about the presence of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Walla Walla. One speaker alleged that ICE had been spotted in Walla Walla, The Wire is unable to verify if ICE is indeed in Walla Walla.
Whitman student Oliver Dickson says representation on Whitman’s campus is rare, but added that today’s show of support gave hope in an uncertain time.

“I’m very proud to have representation on the Whitman College campus, I haven’t really seen that in this amount before and it feels really good,” said Dickson.
Asked about the goal of the march, Hernandez emphasized the humanization of immigrants.
“Our message for today is to show everybody that we are not illegal immigrants. We have every right to be here. You cannot be illegal on stolen land, and we want to stop the mass deportations that Trump has started to initiate with his presidency,” Hernandez said.

Other protestors, including Kate Colvin and Cassandra, said that involvement in the march was their way of acting in solidarity with immigrant groups in the United States.
“I am just outraged by seeing human suffering in any way and wanted to help make a difference… I want to support my brothers and sisters and the marginalized communities that are being affected right now,” Colvin said.
“We’re here supporting all the immigrants, all the Mexicans… it [the U.S.] would not be what it is without us, and you can’t get rid of us… We’re all here together because we support each other,” Cassandra said.
Protesters at the march handed out Red Cards with constitutional rights for U.S. immigrants listed in English and Spanish.
After marching to Jeffersons Park, the protest disbanded just before 5pm. Protesters expressed hope for the future amidst uncertainty about deportations. While the group danced collectively in the rain, one of the leaders turned the bullhorn back on for one last message: “the fight doesn’t end here.”
Evelyn C • Feb 4, 2025 at 8:13 am
You did great job Daniella Hernández your family are very proud of you. Everything went peacefully in order also with respect to others . For sure you will be a good immigration lawyer.