Maritza Perez speaks at Voicebox Radio's Immigration Panel Wednesday night. Perez also sat on the panel at "A Dialogue on Immigration" Thursday night.

“The Minutemen are taking immigration into their own hands,” said Sheila Leslie, Assembly Women of the Nevada Democratic Caucus.

The controversial topic of immigration arose on the University of Nevada, Reno campus on Thursday as Jim Gilchrist from the Minuteman Project spoke at the Joe Crowley Student Union. Meanwhile, across campus, an opposing gathering of students, professors and the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada held a meeting about their side of the issue.

This gathering was, according to its flyer, “A cultural celebration with music, poetry and a humane perspective” entitled “A Dialogue on Immigration.” It was held at the William Raggio Building at 6 p.m.

“A Dialogue on Immigration” covered the topics of immigration reform, dehumanizing immigrants, finding solutions for the immigrant crisis and reminding people that the participants support free speech on campus, but strongly reject hate speech.

A surprise guest, Dr. Jack Schofield, dropped in.  He is a former fighter pilot in World War II and a supporter of freedom of speech.  He read aloud a letter which was directed to Jim Gilchrist, founder of The Minuteman Project, deposing the invitation for Gilchrist to speak at UNR about illegal immigration.

“(What) Jim Gilchrist presents in such a dialogue would not reflect the academic values that are a hallmark of the University of Nevada, Reno,” Schofield said.

The panel of seven people included: Deborah Achtenberg, chair of the philosophy department; activist Vito de la Cruz; assemblywoman Sheila Leslie; PLAN representative Bob Fulkerson and UNR students. The panel took the stage to answer a few questions read by the host and also answered questions from the audience.

“We are not a threat,” said Oscar Peralta, a panelist and UNR student. “We should recognize the only way to legalize this to be humane.”

Emma Sepulveda, the foundation professor of foreign languages and literatures at UNR, agrees with Peralta.

“I think (The Minuteman Project) is a group of individuals who spread hate speech to dehumanize people,” she said. “We need to have a serious debate.”

“Immigrants have made their lives here (in America) and they’re trying hard, paying their taxes and trying to someday get recognized as human beings and they have the right to be recognized here as well,” said de la Cruz, in regards to the immigration reform bill. “The immigration reform must include the steps toward freedomization for the people who are currently undocumented.”

“It’s wasted talent that some universities do not accept undocumented immigrants…and (that they) cannot go into the career that they choose,” says Edith Duarte, a panelist and student at UNR.