[Daily Penn] Perry World House abruptly ended a scheduled event Wednesday on immigration policy and escorted guests off the stage after one of the speakers, former United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Acting Director Thomas Homan, was met with dozens of student protesters.Students wielding signs that read, "Abolish ICE" and "No one is illegal on stolen land," gathered inside and outside of Perry World House minutes before the "Detention and Deportation from Obama to Trump" event, which was scheduled to take place from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Before the protest, more than 500 students and alumni signed a petition demanding that Penn cancel the event because of controversial policies Homan implemented when he led ICE.
At about 4:45 p.m., protesters lined the outside of the building and sat in the event room filled with attendees. The students inside were chanting, "No hate. No fear. Immigrants are welcome here" and "Go home Homan."
An official standing in front of the audience attempted to talk about Penn’s First Amendment rights and the event's intention over the protesters, but they continued chanting.