On January 30th, a group of about 700 students held a walkout during 7th period in protest against the ongoing ICE arrests against Mexicans and other U.S. citizens.
The head organizer of the walkout is currently unknown, as most students only heard of it from other students or on social media. Many of the students who chose to participate also mentioned that they were not involved in the planning process. The overall walkout was a risky idea since students could get punished for “skipping class”.
“I have no idea who planned it, but I know it originated from an Instagram post prior to and the week of the walkout,” says senior Antonio Ruiz. “I was not involved in the planning. I heard about the walkout from a junior and then the news started to spread around and I heard about it from my friends.”
The main goal of the walkout was to address the ongoing ICE arrests being made against innocent citizens throughout the United States. Many students joined to show their support for the cause. Those who didn’t participate seemed to show their support by posting about the event online.
“I wanted to participate because I wanted to experience a protest, and to see who else would participate,” says senior Leslie Hernandez. “I agreed with what was being protested, and I had nothing else to do after school.”
“Students who supported the movement but did not participate posted about the matter on social media,” says junior Eric Pesina.
With all that said, the experience was not all that positive. Some participants reported that they were heckled by ICE/Trump supporters during their walkout, indicating that there are still many out there (at least in Texas) who refuse to acknowledge the wrongdoings of ICE. Additionally, there was the possible threat of getting confronted by the on-campus officers, which would most likely result in punishment.
“Those who disagreed shouted at us saying ‘We love ICE’ and ‘Trump’, and stuck up the middle finger at anyone who was protesting,” says Ruiz.
“When students were leaving the school, many administrators told us to enter the Ox field,” says senior Arisdelcy Vargas. “They locked everyone in the field, however most people jumped the fence to escape.”
Despite the difficulties, the walkout served as an enlightening experience for students. They saw themselves as active U.S. citizens fighting for a good cause and hope that their portesting attepts will bring about change for the better.
“I felt satisfied with the protest,” says Pesina. “It opened my eyes as a citizen and showed I can do more to express my opinions. I would participate in another protest if it aligned with my views.”
We can only hope that the protest brought attention to the issue of ICE arrests in America. Stay strong, Tigers!
Written by Chimdiadi Nwamba