CHICAGO, IL (WBBM Newsradio) - Hundreds of students from several North Side high schools joined a walkout Monday in protest of how federal immigration enforcement is being carried out across the country under the Trump administration.
Marching along sidewalks to nearby River Park were students from Amundsen, Mather, and Roosevelt high schools along with students from Northside College Prep. Many of these students say they’ve been motivated by the fear experienced by their classmates and the violence involved in immigration enforcement activity that they see on social media.
Some, like Roosevelt sophomore Hilary Fuentes have been experiencing that fear first-hand. “Many families, including mine, we stopped going out. We stopped going to flea markets or just the grocery store for our basic needs, because we’ve seen so many abductions,” said Fuentes.
Fuentes, whose immigrant parents have recently been hiding indoors out of fear, shares how it feels to see support coming not only from her peers but also from elected leaders at all levels of government.
“I feel really proud that there are adults and students here supporting immigrants through all of this. We have faith in humanity, that we can actually make a change,” said Fuentes.
More than two hundred students were gathered in River Park, which was covered in snow, they held signs with anti-ICE messaging, blew whistles, and chanted ‘Fuera ICE!’, which is Spanish for ‘ICE out!’.
Roosevelt senior, Zay Martinez, said that he had overheard other students talking about wanting to do something to speak out against how both immigrants and American citizens are being treated during immigration enforcement operations under the Trump. Administration.
That interaction has led to this student organized protest.
“I’ve seen families get ripped apart, even at my school. I’ve seen people crying, being afraid of even leaving the school, afraid of leaving their homes. It’s racism, that’s what it is. It’s racism,” said Martinez, who adds a comment about the support shown by adults, “It’s very telling of the times and how everything is”.
Specifically asked what his parents think about him leaving school in the middle of the day to protest, “My parents are just like…they want me to stay safe, but in these times I don’t think really any place is safe, especially if immigration is out there killing people. No place is safe. I’m not going to sit here and stay silent watching my friends, my fellow peers get killed because of ICE’s actions,” said Martinez.
Schoolmate Hilary Fuentes was asked that same question, “They aren’t able to be here, since unfortunately they’re immigrants too and they’re afraid of ICE, but I’m here to say what they’re afraid to say because it’s not that they don’t want to, it’s just that they can’t,” said Fuentes.
A Chicago Public Schools spokesperson tells us that the district does allow students to participate in planned civic actions, including walkouts or protests, but the absence will be noted in attendance records. Administrators do work with student organizers to determine an appropriate time and to create a safe space for any sort of group action.
Chicago aldermen Byron Sigcho-Lopez (25th), Andre Vasquez (40th), and Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez (33rd) were involved with the protest.