Freshman Alex Chong, junior Emily Chavez Garcia and freshman Jasmine Pollay hold handmade posters advocating against ICE activity as students depart campus on Lemon Avenue.
By Malak Abu Hajar
Staff Writer
TC students raised posters high in solidarity with those affected by escalating Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity during a walkout on Feb. 27.
Students met on the Lemon Avenue lawn during fifth period before beginning their march to City Hall via Temple City Boulevard. Approximately 200 students and community members participated in the walkout.
Students left campus at 2 p.m. and recited a series of chants against ICE while walking down the sidewalks, with cars honking in solidarity. When the students reached the TC Gazebo, ten students made speeches expressing their thoughts on ICE deportations before returning at 3:30 p.m.
Following the murder of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis by ICE agents, schools across the nation walked out on Jan. 30—25 of which were from LA County.
To build further momentum, CA Youth Unite, a student-led youth group, planned several protests and walkouts on Feb. 27 with over 55 schools’ participation, including TC.
Frustrated by the recent ICE abductions of children such as five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos, who was taken alongside his father to an ICE facility from his driveway, and Monterey Park abductions near Mark Keppel High School, junior Adeline Rios created the account TCHS Walkout on Instagram. Rios’ social media posts were attempts to gather students of similar passion to attend the walkout against ICE.
“I wanted to fight for what I wanted,” Rios said. “I kind of thought to myself, ‘if no one else is gonna do it, why don’t I just do it?’ And I got tired of seeing everything happen around me without being able to do much.”
To ensure students safety, local law enforcement monitored the walkout in case of emergency, with parent chaperones guiding participants along the route while passing out snacks and bottles of water. Student participants were required to scan their ID cards prior to leaving campus. Those who chose to exit campus had their absence recorded in accordance with Education Code 48205. If participation in the walkout didn’t meet the criteria under this code, it was recorded as an unexcused absence or considered a truancy under Education Code 48260.