Recent Immigration and Customers Enforcement (ICE) operations in Minneapolis — part of a broader federal immigration enforcement surge — have ignited community conflict and widespread protests.
Some schools temporarily closed or altered operations due to safety concerns, reflecting the broader anxiety among families and educators about federal enforcement activity in and around school communities.
Students across the country have staged large walkouts to protest immigration enforcement tactics, and a nationwide protest is planned for Friday.
Bay Area Students Protest ICE
Hundreds of students across the Bay Area participated in walkouts Wednesday. In San Jose, students at East Side San Jose High School and Overfelt High School walked out to demonstrate against ICE, citing the direct impact immigration enforcement has had on their classmates and families, KRON 4 reports. Overfelt High School Principal Vito Chiala said students staged a similar walkout a year ago.
“Nothing has gotten better,” he said. “The worst of what we imagined happened.”
Similar student walkouts took place in the East Bay, with hundreds of students staging and all-day protest, NBC reports. The demonstrators were mostly students from six different high schools in San Lorenzo, Hayward, and Berkeley.
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“Our families, our communities, our friends have been terrorized, and we are not for that,” said East Bay Arts High School student Jolia Bossette. “We came out here today to show you all that although we cannot vote, we expect you all to do something important, change what’s going on.”
School district officials were on site overseeing the protest.
“We’re proud of them,” said San Lorenzo Unified School District Director of Communication Scott Faust. “I think that’s the bottom line. They’re learning from this. They’re making an impact though their message. They’re doing so peacefully.”
Phoenix Students Protest ICE
Students from schools across metro Phoenix also staged walkouts Wednesday. Students from Arcadia High School walked off campus while students from Camelback High School marched to Senator Mark Kelly’s Phoenix office, AZ Central reports. Kelly, as well as Senator Ruben Gallego, joined Democratic senators in opposing a funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security following the murder of Pretti by ICE agents.
“I am disgusted and saddened by all the things ICE has been doing,” said Lily Thomas, a sophomore at Camelback. “Seventy percent of Camelback is Hispanic, and so a lot of us are directly affected by the things that ICE has been doing. We are also a Title I school, and so we are the people speaking for the ones that can’t.”
The school’s principal and additional staff monitored the students’ safety as they made the 20 minute walk from school grounds to Kelly’s office.
Sophia Mignacca, a senior at Arcadia High, said the organizers emailed school administrators in advance to notify them of the planned walkout. Mignacca said teachers and staff were supportive and helped to ensure the event was safe by notifying police.
Mesa High School, Gilbert High School, Shadow Ridge High School, and Tolleson Union High School also had walkouts, and social media posts indicated students from approximately 20 other area high schools planned to walk off campus.
Salt Lake City Students Protest ICE
Students in Utah organized a statewide student walkout Tuesday in protest. Several Salt Lake County schools participated, including Brockbank STEM, Bingham High School, and Kearns High School. Protesters from Kearns High left the school chanting, “Defund ICE!”
Granite School District Spokesperson Luke Allen said 200 to 300 Kearns students participated.
“The Supreme Court has repeatedly ruled that schools must respect our students’ First Amendment rights and their desire to express their views on issues that matter to them,” he wrote in a statement. “Our top priority in these situations is maintaining a safe and supportive learning environment for all students and staff.”
Atlanta Students Protest ICE
Hundreds of students across metro Atlanta also walked out of school this week. Large groups of students from Archer High School and Parkview High School left class Tuesday, and over 2,000 students from Parkview High School walked out of class as well.
Students from Norcross High School in Gwinnett County and Riverwood International Charter School in Fulton County also staged walkouts on Wednesday. Last week, hundreds of students also walked out at Meadowcreek High School.
Nationwide ICE Protest to Be Held Friday
Significant demonstrations are expected Friday as part of a nationwide protest against ICE. Dubbed “National Shutdown,” grassroots organizers are calling for “a nationwide day of no school, no work and no shopping” to cause economic disruption and show solidarity with immigrant communities. The movement aims to “stop ICE’s reign of terror,” demanding the abolition of ICE, a reduction in its funding, and the immediate end of federal immigration enforcement actions.
In Sacramento, high school students are planning a district-wide walkout Friday as part of the National Shutdown, according to The Sacramento Bee. The organizers are calling for the abolition of ICE and for Sacramento City Council to reaffirm its status as a sanctuary city for immigrants.
Students plan to walk out of school around 10:30 a.m. and walk to the John E. Moss Federal Building on Capitol Mall, which holds people detained by ICE. The student organizers secured a permit for 700 people to gather on the Capitol’s west steps. About 1,000 people are expected to show.
School officials from at least two metro Atlanta school districts are warning students of consequences if they participate in the national event. The Cobb County School District sent a message Tuesday alleging “external groups” were recruiting students to hold a rally on Friday, AXIOS reports.
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CCSD said any student who leaves or disrupts the school day could face out-of-school suspension and “the potential loss of parking privileges, sports and extracurricular privileges.”
“Each has long-lasting impacts that could be taken into account by college admission offices and future employers,” the district said.
DeKalb County Schools Interim Superintendent Norman Sauce wrote in a letter Tuesday that while the district appreciates students’ concerns about current events, they are required to express their views without disrupting the school day.
“Students are encouraged to work with their principal or school administration to identify appropriate, school-approved ways to share their perspectives,” Sauce wrote.
In Arizona, the Tucson Unified School District says it may cancel classes Friday because of hundreds of potential employee absences, according to Arizona Luminaria. TUSD Superintendent Gabriel Trujillo sent an email to families Thursday urging them to make childcare arrangements for possible school closures.
“Our primary goal is to keep schools open and to provide a consistent, safe learning environment for our students,” Trujillo wrote. “However, if we determine that we cannot meet the necessary supervision ratios to ensure student safety, we may be forced to cancel classes.”
