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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23

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TRADITIONS Four Battalion editors receive their Aggie gold during Aggie Ring Day at Association of Former Students A6-7

SPORTS No. 3 Texas A&M football travels to Death Valley to face No. 20 LSU in hopes of remaining undefeated A8

How ICE’s Bryan presence affects local community As federal immigration enforcement enters Brazos Valley, residents, students voice concern over operations By Amber Pettit News Reporter

Rocio Salgado — THE BATTALION

Students sit at a table at Aggie Park on Friday, Oct. 17, 2025.

Aggies commit to sustainable future 15. ment of free period product dispensers on A&M students participate in Oct.“[Campus Sustainability Day is] a way to campus via the Period Project and the additogether student organizations, campus tion of recycling bins and water bottle filling Campus Sustainability Month, bring departments and community partners who all stations in most buildings on campus. Alkind of have a vested interest in sustainabili- though these projects are important, Cheng work to spread awareness ty,” Wellman said. emphasized that students can make a differ-

ence by simply showing up. “Being around like-minded people who also are trying to promote these same goals, October marks the celebration of Campus is really important, and it also helps you feel Sustainability Month, or CSM, across unia lot more driven in that I’m doing someversities internationally. During the month, thing,” Cheng said. Texas A&M aims to shine light on environOne major area Aggie Green Fund and mental, social and economic sustainability, Wellman want to focus on is social sustainspreading awareness and encouraging meanability. They hope to improve campus efforts ingful change on campus. through initiatives such as the Period ProjThis October, A&M’s Office of Sustainect. With assistance from A&M’s H.E.A.T. ability & Campus Enrichment, or OSCE, chapter and other organizations, Aggie Green is celebrating its 17th annual CSM. OSCE Fund was able to support the project finanhas organized in-person and virtual events to cially. provide opportunities for students to explore “The Period Project is trying to provide and participate in sustainable pracfree and accessible period prodtices on campus and across their ucts to folks who need them,” communities. Wellman said. “Because periSustainability starts with yourself. You can’t help On OSCE’s CSM website, od poverty is a real thing and students have access to a calenpeople’s ability to other people unless you’re in a good place yourself. itstaycanonimpact dar of all organization events. campus and go to class, During the first week of Octoand/or be diverted from that.” ber, OSCE encouraged the use of However, the Project is not Vienna Cheng sustainable transportation through the only attempt to make retheir “Week Without Driving” Political Science and Environmental Studies Junior sources more accessible. Repchallenge; it also encourages atresenting MOVE Texas, statendance at their intern CSM tistics and psychology senior talks taking place throughout the Sophia Sanders emphasized month. By attending and participating in the Aggie Green Fund and 12th Can were the importance of voting and working to enthese events, students collect “code words” present alongside statewide groups like the courage students to use their voices. that they can use to enter a giveaway at the Texas Conservation Alliance which actively “Recently, we had our National Votend of the month. shared information on sustainability. er Registration Day event in September,” “This month is really about education,” One of the organizations tabling at the Sanders said. “And I think that’s really imDirector of Sustainability in the Office of event aimed to touch on all of these sus- portant because voting is a huge part of Sustainability & Campus Enrichment Kelly tainability areas. The Aggie Green Fund has maintaining and creating sustainable policies, Wellman said. “And so when we are out here donated more than $2.8 million to students because obviously the government controls a physically kind of talking about what we’re in grants, allowing it to drive meaningful lot of sustainability policies of requirements doing, we are hitting those public engage- change itself. of what residential and commercial sources ment, educational opportunity goals where “We help give away money for any stu- are supposed to be doing.” we’re sharing all the things that are happen- dent or faculty member who has a sustainable There are many different ways students ing on campus.” idea they want to put on campus,” political can get involved this October, with opportuSince OSCE’s founding in 2008, A&M science and environmental studies junior Vi- nities to participate in all areas of sustainabilihas released its Sustainability Master Plan, fol- enna Cheng said. ty on campus and in the community. lowed by its Evergreen Goals of promoting Cheng is part of the student-led Aggie “Sustainability starts with yourself,” Cheng sustainability across campus. The department Green Fund, hoping to encourage more stu- said. “You can’t help other people unless works year-round to foster these goals, but dents to get involved on campus. With the you’re in a good place yourself. Making sure CSM allows OSCE to focus on spreading help of passionate students, Aggie Green that you’re in a good place, helping, making awareness and educating students through Fund supported the transition to LED light sure that other people are in a good place, events such as Campus Sustainability Day on fixtures in the Forsyth Galleries, the place- that’s how we start getting real work done.”

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Students, organizations and faculty gathered at Rudder Plaza on Oct. 15 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. to celebrate Campus Sustainability Day and share their sustainable missions with students. According to OSCE’s CSM website, its aim is to“expose, educate, and empower attendees with the skills they need to be more sustainable—environmentally, socially, and economically.” A&M’s environmental goal is often the most recognized pillar of sustainability; however, Campus Sustainability Day also emphasized the importance of social and economic sustainability. Student organizations such as

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By Cayenne Foster News Writer

In the past month, videos showing United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, agents at multiple worksites in Bryan have circulated across social media. The footage, which appears to show agents pursuing individuals, has raised questions and concerns among community members about ICE’s presence in the Bryan-College Station area. According to a KBTX report, Bryan became one of the latest Texas cities to see ICE activity after the agency conducted enforcement operations in late September. ICE officials said that the actions were part of an effort to locate and arrest individuals with prior criminal convictions or final orders of removal. However, the operations sparked alarm among local residents and those connected to immigrant and student communities across Bryan-College Station. Vanessa Marie Ponce, `executive director of the Brazos Interfaith Immigration Network, said that the recent increase in ICE presence — along with broader national conversation regarding immigration — has had a strong effect on the immigrant community in Brazos County. “The current anti-immigration rhetoric coming from many politicians and executive orders in regards to immigration policies is creating a climate of fear, anxiety and uncertainty,” Ponce said. Ponce said that this fear isn’t limited to just undocumented residents, claiming that changing federal policies have made it unclear who may be vulnerable to detention or deportation. “Large portions of the immigrant community, not just undocumented individuals, are at risk for detention and deportation,” Ponce said. “This can include DACA recipients, temporary protected status holders and even green card holders due to the constant changing policies.” According to Ponce, the growing uncertainty has had noticeable consequences in the community, including a fear of seeking necessary resources including healthcare and safety resources. “There is a heightened fear to access community resources and it is not just the Brazos Interfaith Immigration Network that has seen that heightened fear, but also healthcare resources and under-reporting when there are victims of crime,” Ponce said. Ponce said that there are often misunderstandings about immigrants and how policy shifts affect them, explaining that even those following legal processes may face uncertainty under current conditions. “This is not just impacting the immigrants that are undocumented,” Ponce said. “These can be immigrants that are falling under lawful categories. With the changing policies it is placing everybody at a greater risk. We have seen the repeal of different humanitarian programs, and we saw earlier this year where different groups lost their protected status. When people think immigrants, they think all are unlawful, but that is not what this is.”

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