Student perspective: High school protest against ICE raids sparks solidarity, opposition

While not all the students quoted in this story requested anonymity, the Journal has chosen to use pseudonyms due to their age, and our concerns about potential repercussions at school or in the larger community. The Journal verified the students’ identities and parents were made aware of their children’s participation in the article.

“If you knew my story, you’d walk with me, not against me.” 

So read one of the dozens of protest signs on display last Friday, February 6, during a student-organized walkout at Northport High School. From 10:30-10:45am, a group of approximately 85 students stood on the concrete sidewalk just outside the school’s eastern-facing doors, in a section roped off from the asphalt but visible from Elwood Road. A smaller group of students, about 25 in total, were there in opposition to the walkout and its message. 

The protest against ICE raids in the community was created, organized and promoted by Ana, a junior IB Diploma candidate who was inspired to share her voice as part of her monthlong IB Diploma CAS (Creative Activity Service) project.

A first-generation American, Ana has been a student in the Northport-East Northport school district since kindergarten. She’s involved in the high school theater program and every school day recites the Pledge of Allegiance over the loudspeaker for morning announcements. She considers her experience in the district a privilege, something not afforded to her parents and older sister who, while born here, was not able to participate in as many activities as Ana due to language barriers. 

“It was very hard for [my parents] to get her involved in stuff so I want to be able to step into her footprints and leave even bigger footprints for my younger sister,” Ana told the Journal in an interview earlier last week.   

A daughter of immigrants
Ana’s parents arrived in the United States from Honduras in 2005; they walked for three straight months to get here, motivated by the American dream, Ana said. “My parents made so many sacrifices that I couldn't repay, except through my own triumphs and successes,” she said. 

In mid-January, after deciding to pursue the walkout protest as part of her monthlong service project for CAS, Ana emailed Northport High School Principal Rob Dennis; she shared with him her intentions and why a walkout against ICE raids was important to her. 

“As students, it is our right to peacefully protest but I wanted to be transparent with him and I didn’t want to seem radical,” she said. The following week she met Dennis in person and the two ironed out a date and time for the event. Ana requested the protest face Elwood Road to ensure visibility, and was told by Dennis that any participants would need to follow restrictions and rules according to the district’s code of conduct. 

Once the date was confirmed, Ana made an Instagram account sharing information about the protest and, over the next two to three weeks, made 60 signs to hand out to participating students. While she had originally contacted a printer from whom she could order t-shirts in bulk, she realized the cost per shirt would be too expensive. Many students came in blue shirts of their own instead, a color often used as a symbol of solidarity with immigrants and refugees, representing both resistance and resilience.

“ICE raids throughout the community have instilled so much fear and intimidation not only for the families of students but students directly,” Ana said, adding that many of her classmates often leave for school wondering if it’s the last time they’ll see their parents.

“As a daughter of immigrants, I’ve witnessed firsthand the stress and anxiety that these raids bring to students and families throughout Northport,” she said. “Our community and its students deserve to come to school each day without the anxiety and stress caused by these uncertain times.” 

Ana said her parents’ story and their sacrifices certainly influenced her decision to lead the protest; she recognizes, however, that she is just one of many families affected by local ICE raids and wanted to organize something for them, too. “This isn't just for me and my parents. This is for the whole community. And for everyone – not only those who support [the protest], but those who don’t –  it’s for everyone to understand the true reality of what people like me go through daily. If you just took two minutes to listen to someone, to their story… you could learn so much.”

Go time
During her planning process, Ana posted a poll on her Instagram account, asking how many of the page’s followers planned to attend the walkout. She received 55 affirmative responses, a number she thought was solid enough to forge ahead. She felt confident that she was doing the right thing, and that she would have the support to carry the protest out. 

She admits some online comments, made by both classmates and parents in multiple forums discussing the protest, affected her prior to go time. “But I tried not to stress myself out with all the negativity that was on Facebook because I didn't want to give myself setbacks,” she said. “I think adults often underestimate us. They don’t think we know as much as we do. I am personally dealing with this. A bunch of my friends are dealing with this. I think they need to put into perspective what ICE has turned into. It’s something that affects so many of us.”

She mentioned the many contributions immigrants – and their children – have made to the country. 

“I realize that as a country’s people, we are the ones who are able to protest against it,” she added. “We are the people and our voices and opinions matter. [People] may not think it affects us now but it affects our entire future and staying silent in these times of injustice is truly a privilege. I refuse to stand here every day over the loudspeaker reciting ‘and liberty and justice for all,’ just to be called radical for wanting liberty and justice for all.”

The morning of the walkout added another set of emotions to the situation: Ana became anxious and began second-guessing herself as she neared the small commons doors, where high school administrators and security personnel awaited the arrival of students. For a moment, she felt like a burden, like she was disrupting their day, she said. “And then I see my friends beginning to walk in, and students who didn’t respond to the poll begin to walk in, and students I’ve never seen before beginning to walk through the doors,” she said. “I have this rush of adrenaline, seeing all these kids continuing to gather, and I’m just in shock. I didn't realize how many kids actually cared about this cause. It made me realize the power I truly have and what I did for our students.”

For many, it was the first time they attended a protest. 

“I felt very supported that day,” said Maria, a high school senior who told the Journal she hasn’t always felt welcome in the school. Coming from an immigrant family and existing in a setting where, even prior to the protest, students sometimes express anti-immigrant stances, had made her feel alone in the past. But that Friday, “all these people with different backgrounds and from different places came together. I just thought it was so beautiful how we were all there,” she said. 

According to a presentation given at the district’s most recent COMPASS community engagement meeting, the Hispanic population at the high school – though still a small fraction of the overall population – has doubled over the past ten years.

Maria and a few other friends, all from immigrant families, experienced moments of hesitation leading up to the protest, worried that participating in the walkout might draw the wrong type of attention to the area, she said. What she found in those 15 minutes though – allyship from people she knew and some she had never met – was worth it. 

“I don’t regret what I did. I’m glad it happened. I think everyone should show their support if they can,” she said. “No matter what, always speak up if you can.”

A counterprotest, another walkout
As the students prepared for the protest to begin, a smaller group of about 25 high school boys, many in pro-Trump gear, formed to the protestors’ right. Both Ana and Maria said they weren't aware anyone was going to show up in opposition to the walkout.

Chants of “ICE out” at the protest were met with chants of “USA, USA,” and “Trump’s your daddy.” While the students were meant to stand beside one another, in separate groups, there were moments when protestors crossed lines, jockeying for position and visibility.

“They were counterprotesting what our protest wasn’t about,” Ana said. “Our protest wasn't about Trump. Our protest was about keeping the people in our community safe.” Ana believes ICE is tearing minority communities apart by targeting them based on physical appearance, accent, “even a bumper sticker,” she said. “These raids have just extended beyond the legal justifications. They’ve created so many dangerous and violent situations over and over again.” 

Fifteen-year-old Mia, a sophomore at the high school, was initially dismayed by the presence of counterprotestors. Looking back, she said, she’s grateful they showed up. “It affected our presence, and it made us even more powerful,” she said. The ICE out chants got louder, their commitment to the cause stronger: “It felt like a million people were there.”

Having two sides of the issue on display “was more proof that we needed to be there,” Mia said. “It was proof that this is happening in our community and this hate is being spread in our community. It was honestly an in-person example of how the school is behaving and everything that is going on inside the walls that you may not see.” 

She said some students are “actively supporting ICE raids” in school and that she’s heard classmates tell students of color that they are going to call ICE on them, in the hallway. “It’s something we can’t escape. It’s everywhere, it's around us. I can’t believe people are trying to ignore it or push it aside. It’s even within the walls of our schools, where teens should be able to feel safe,” she said. 

Shortly after the February 6 walkout, a new pro-ICE Instagram page was created to promote a rally scheduled for the following week, also at the high school, to “show support of America and our brave ICE agents.” Despite initial pushback from high school administrators, the rally was allowed to move forward once organizers sought permission to do so. 

The pro-ICE rally was held in the same location as the prior week’s protest. Approximately 14 students gathered from 8:30-8:42am. The students held one large and one small American flag, a Trump 2024 banner, and a handmade sign that read “ICE is good.”

In an email to high school parents, both before the February 6 and February 13 walkouts, Principal Dennis said that while “the district does not sponsor or endorse walkouts, we respect students’ Constitutional rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly,” adding that students who choose to participate in a peaceful walkout would not face disciplinary consequences solely for their participation.

Prior to the latest walkout, Dennis added to his email: “As this is the second demonstration of this kind this school year, the district recognizes the importance of student voice and will be reviewing its policies and procedures to ensure a balance between supporting expression and protecting instructional time. Our primary goal remains to minimize disruption to the school day while keeping teaching and learning at the center of everything we do. Moving forward, the district will continue to prioritize the continuity of classroom instruction for all students while respecting opportunities for students to engage thoughtfully in civic dialogue.”

When asked for a statement regarding the two walkouts and how they may impact future policy, officials said the events were being reviewed: “As always, our priorities remain student safety and the protection of instructional time.”

Lessons (to be) learned
Ana continues to speak confidently about her experience after the protest. As a student, it’s always nice to feel supported, she said, whether by friends, adults or the teachers in her life. She said her parents texted her too, post-protest, to let her know how proud they were of what she accomplished, and that her classmates sent her messages of gratitude as well. 

Maria believes continued outreach from staff at the high school would be welcome, that sometimes students have to be the ones to initiate conversation when there’s an issue and that staff just checking in with individuals they believe may be struggling or who feel unsafe would provide another layer of support. 

“I have a lot of friends who are facing this problem actively,” Mia said. “They are scared for their families. They’re depressed. I know how much it’s affecting them and I feel so strongly about how wrong it is and how much it affects their daily lives.” She said that while she stays updated with current events outside of school, that the teachers – in particular history teachers – she’s had experience with so far in her high school career don’t really broach current events and how they might be relevant to the entire student population. 

“It almost feels like they are trying to keep it out of school when it’s something that’s affecting all of us as people and all of us should be aware of,” she said. She believes that providing new and neutral opportunities to learn about current events by relating them to things already taught in history –  the Constitution, for example – would give students the chance to consider for themselves not only the historical significance of what they are learning but how it can be applied to present day. 

“Looking beyond this little town and realizing what’s happening all around us and how it's affecting our community and other communities is important for everyone,” she said. 

Editor’s note: Attempts to contact the pro-ICE rally organizers via Instagram were unsuccessful.