A group composed of faculty, staff and students called “We Keep Us Safe WFU” gathered to host a vigil for those who have been targeted and detained due to immigration status, as well as solidarity with international students.
At 11 a.m., participants in the group set out flowers, candles, prayer-mats, a canopy tent and umbrellas on the Manchester Plaza Stage. A harp player sat in the middle of the group, playing throughout the gathering. Around 20 group members were present, with several administrators, faculty and staff circulating through the duration of the vigil.

At 1:45 p.m., Imran Haq, the assistant chaplain for Muslim life, led a group of students in their weekly Friday afternoon prayer, which is normally held in the Muslim Student Lounge.
“This is a scary time for students on our campus, and we want to be there for them, [know that] we see them, but know we also have resources that could help them if they’re ever in trouble,” Haq said.
Owais Kamran, a first-year student, stumbled upon the vigil on his way out of math class.
“With the harp, the outside setting and communal [prayer], it feels a little bit like a protest, but also like a unified congregation at the same time,” Kamran said.
Mir Yarfitz, an associate professor of history, was one of the key faculty organizers of the event.
“The idea for this vigil was pretty spontaneous. It grew out of student-led organizing that grew from the faculty organizing the weeks before,” Yarfitz said.
Previously, the Wake Forest Chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) held a “sit-in” in the lobby of Tribble Hall, in a National Day of Action for Higher Education. After that, the faculty organized two other “sit-in” days in Tribble Lobby, which lasted from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday. Programming included student meetings with immigration lawyers and international-student-centered discussions.
Editor’s note: This is an ongoing story.