On Jan. 30, an estimated 50 students participated in the ICE Walkout protest at 10 a.m., beginning third period and then gaining more traction during fourth period.
Students began by gathering at the lunch tables and made signs with phrases such as “ICE out,” “No human is illegal” and “No more ICE” handwritten in bold letters on lined pieces of paper. After, they walked together in a crowd chanting until they reached the gates of the front office, where they exited campus.
“I think it was pretty successful. I don’t think it was more of just walking out and leaving school or skipping a day, but I think it was more of using our voice and speaking on issues that haven’t been seen on both sides,” a student said, who asked to remain anonymous for their safety. “I don’t really like ICE going around in the U.S., because I feel like immigrants are like the foundation of America [and] they shouldn’t be sent back to their country — especially if they’re legal.”
The night of Jan. 29, a digital poster in blue and yellow Mustang colors promoted the “ICE Walkout” protest via Instagram urging students to leave school at 10 a.m. The anonymous student was reached out to by a Nogales High School student with the flyer to spread awareness about the nationwide shutdown — a nationwide protest of ICE calling for people to not attend work, school or shop.
Staff was notified of the protest and the Principal and Deans were by the cafeteria supervising. According to principal Jamie Norell, their goal was to give students the room for their right to freedom of speech, as well as ensure they did take away the ability for other students to access their education by being disruptive.
“I would say we only monitored whether [the protest] was done in a respectful way, so if posters had inappropriate language, we asked that to be redirected,” principal Jamie Norell said. “We allowed students to have that time to process and to protest as they felt necessary. [After all], their right to freedom of speech doesn’t get checked the minute they come to campus.” Ω
