Identity of Speakers
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James Percival
Student
OtherGeneral counsel for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Resources
Additional Information
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Incident Nature:
Rally or protest
Recognized student group event
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Incident Political Orientation:
Not Clear -
Incident Responses:
Rally or Protests
Title IX or other federal statute
Other
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Incident Status:
No litigation
- Was Speech Code incident
Summary
On April 21, 2026, demonstrators protested an event at the UCLA School of Law featuring James Percival, general counsel for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, hosted by the UCLA Federalist Society. The event, titled “Inside DHS: A Conversation with General Counsel,” focused on DHS legal issues, including immigration enforcement and agency authority. Demonstrators gathered outside the law school and later entered the event, where some participants disrupted the discussion by shouting, chanting, using sound effects, and making other interruptions. Some protesters also walked out during the program. The demonstrations focused on opposition to DHS immigration enforcement policies, including detention and deportation practices and the treatment of migrants.
The disruption drew criticism because protesters interrupted a student organization’s invited speaker event. Critics objected to the use of shouting, chants, and other disruptions inside the room, arguing that attendees should have been able to hear the speaker and participate in the discussion. DHS officials later stated that demonstrators interfered with the event through repeated interruptions, including booing and other noise.
UCLA issued a statement on April 22, 2026, addressing a separate campus event and a letter from the Undergraduate Students Association Council. The university stated that campus organizations had the right to host events and that members of the community had the right to protest, but that protests could not prevent others from participating in university activities. The statement reaffirmed UCLA’s commitment to free expression and its policies governing campus events.
In a separate statement released on April 23, 2026, UCLA School of Law Dean Michael Waterstone addressed the Federalist Society event. Waterstone stated that individuals who disrupted the program were warned and that some were escorted out or left voluntarily. He said other protest activity was protected expression and consistent with university policies. Waterstone stated that the event continued and that the law school would review its policies to ensure student organizations could invite speakers and hold discussions without being prevented by disruptions.
Later in April, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) criticized UCLA’s response and sent an April 27, 2026 letter to the university regarding an email from Assistant Dean for Student Affairs Bayrex Martí warning Federalist Society members about publicly identifying individuals shown disrupting the event. FIRE requested information from UCLA about the communication and the university’s policies regarding speech related to the protest.
On May 8, 2026, U.S. Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Missouri) issued a statement defending the First Amendment rights of UCLA law students involved with the Federalist Society and sent a letter to UCLA officials requesting information about the university’s handling of the disruption. The letter asked about UCLA’s review of event policies, the communication warning Federalist Society members about publicly identifying individuals involved in the protest, and the university’s response to concerns regarding student speech rights.
