Walkout Protesting ICE

By Suzanna Kirpichyan

Staff Writer

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On Friday, February 6, 2026, students in the Antelope Valley orchestrated a walkout to protest recent political events and tragedies following the controversy surrounding ICE. The walk was estimated to take 1 hour and 11 minutes and was set to begin around 9:40 a.m. After disclosing the rules and protocols of the protest, students began their march by exiting Antelope Valley College campus and making their way down the streets, making a stop at Lancaster High School, and finally making their way to Lancaster Blvd to meet up with Antelope Valley High School and Eastside High School. All together, students claimed there were an estimated 300-500 students present. All students who chose to participate were marked with unexcused absences per super attendants announcement. School faculties neither support nor oppose the actions taken by the students, exercising their First Amendment rights. 

There were a variety of different posters, signs, and colors of Hispanic heritage shown by students during the peaceful protest. Some signs read, “Deport white supremacy,” “If this was about criminals, why is one in office,” “I was a stranger, and you welcomed me. - Jesus.” There was a discussion of chants to use once all the schools were united on Lancaster Blvd, before the march had begun. Some chants heard included, “No hate, no fear, immigrants are welcome here,” and “Education, not deportation.” All chants emphasize the youth demanding to be taken seriously and being willing to face the consequences of standing up for what they believe in. 

A major concern that many students confessed to was safety for those involved in the protest and those viewing. Especially taking the number of students present into consideration, they stressed that there were many ways this protest could go wrong. However, there was no major conflict noted, and there was supervision of sheriffs posted on Lancaster Blvd to watch over the protest

When the walkout began, protesting students had a general agreement that they were not only fighting for themselves, but for their peers. As stated by Miliani Maldonado Johnson, “Atrocities are happening everywhere. As a student with peers who are of Hispanic heritage, it's not okay.” Her sign was also a tribute to those who are American citizens who lost their lives due to ICE. Benson Limon, Class of ‘29 president, was also present at the walkout. “When I think about the protest, I think it’s amazing that so many different backgrounds can come together and support such a noble cause.” He later goes on to explain that his family has also been heavily involved with the situation and has been in difficult positions with them. This motivates his and his family’s continuous support of those who choose to speak up.

The protest wrapped up in a respectful manner, and the unity made the protest filled with love and strength. As Jordan Zuniga described his favorite part of the protest, he stated, “When we made it to city hall, megaphones were being passed around to different people to share their thoughts on what's happening as well as their messages to us.”