By Aristeidis Pahoundis and Aife Pasquale

Graham, WA – on Thursday, January 29, over 200 high school students walked out in the middle of the school day in solidarity with the popular movement against ICE terror in Minneapolis. Students marched for two hours in the rain, defending each other from reactionary Trump supporters, and despite threats of repression from the school admin.

Chanting “Fuck ICE!” along the way, these students built a new level of struggle in this rural city in Pierce County, Washington, where Sheriff Keith Swank has threatened to crack down on youth and openly supports ICE.

Jocelyn Mendoza-Villalpando, a student protesting ICE terror, stated, “My mom is a Dreamer, she came here for a better opportunity in life. Two days ago, she got stopped by immigration because she looked different.” Mendoza-Villalpando continued, “I'm so happy she had her papers on her, because I don't know what I would have done if they took my mother away from me.”

When asked why the students walked out today, student Jennifer Muñoz proudly responded, “Because we think that everything that's happening with ICE is wrong, and no one is illegal on stolen land! Especially innocent immigrants who want a better life for themselves and their family.”

“Kids are scared to come to school,” reported Delaney Meyers. “My friend didn't come to school for three weeks because she was scared of ICE.”

Tina Olsen, parent of a protesting student, stated, “I think it is imperative that the students who are about to be voters are involved in what's happening in our society, and if they see something that's wrong and unjust, they need to do exactly what they're doing and use the power of their voices and their bodies to walk out of school. And it's equally important that we support our children!”

Leylani Ostos explained while marching with her sister and holding a Puerto Rican flag why she was walking out, “I come from immigrant parents, they came here legally. And yet ICE can come for my family and tear it apart.” She continued, “It's sad that we have to do this instead of the adults. It's sad that this generation now has to do this, because the people who were supposed to protect us failed us.”

Her sister Eliana Ostos added, “They don't care if I'm legal or not, they will come grab me if they want and send me ‘back’ to a country I wasn't born in!”

#GrahamWA #WA #ImmigrantRights #ICE #HighSchool #StudentMovement