Students held a walkout protest on Feb. 5 to speak out about immigration policies and ICE. Many students left campus during transition period between 3rd and 4th period classes for the school day and marched along nearby streets to show support for immigrant communities.

Students walked near Dyer Street, a busy road in the area. Student protesters carried signs and tried to spread their message to drivers and people passing by. Some students said police officers were present but mainly watched to keep everyone safe.

Many students said they joined the protest to support people who may be affected by deportation. They believed it was important to speak out about the issue.

“I have a lot of privilege right now, and I think I should use it to speak for people who can’t protest,” Christopher Boyd said. “If we stay quiet, nothing will change.”

Some students said the protest had planning behind it. Information about the walkout and the route was shared on Instagram before the event.

“The protest was organized,” Jadien Arrieta said. “There was a route planned, but some students didn’t always follow it.”

Other students felt the protest could have reached more people if it had been promoted more before the event.

“I didn’t see anything about the walkout,” Colt Nelson said. “They should have posted it more so more students would know.”

Students also had different opinions about the timing of the protest. Some believed it could have been planned better to get more people involved.

Teachers did not take part in the protest. Some students believe many teachers understood why students chose to participate, even though leaving class counted as an unexcused absence.