High school students across the Milwaukee area ditched their desks yesterday and headed for the streets, staging coordinated walkouts to protest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and a recent federal enforcement surge. The demonstrations, complete with marches, chants and megaphones, stretched from city campuses into the suburbs. Students said they were standing with immigrant neighbors and reacting to federal operations elsewhere in the Midwest that have left them on edge.
Students Stage Walkouts Across Milwaukee Area
At Rufus King International High School, students trudged roughly two miles through snow-covered sidewalks while chanting, "No justice, no peace, no ICE in our streets." Organizers said about 100 students in Menasha also walked out in solidarity. According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, similar demonstrations unfolded at Reagan High School, West Allis Central and Dominican High School.
Evolet Leos-Salgado, a junior at Reagan, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel she was scared to see ICE in her own community and worried that "my family could be next." Thaddeaus Hilliard Jr., a senior at Rufus King, said he felt saddened by deportations and federal actions targeting immigrants without legal status. Organizers told the Journal Sentinel that the walkouts came together quickly in response to national events.
Shorewood And Wauwatosa Students Join In
In Shorewood, anywhere from dozens to hundreds of students walked out of Shorewood High School at lunchtime and marched to Shorewood Village Hall, where they drew state representatives and local speakers, according to TMJ4. The Shorewood district told WISN that the protest was not a school-sponsored event and that parents could excuse students under existing district policy.
What Sparked The Protests
Students and organizers said their outrage was fueled by a Jan. 7 incident in Minneapolis in which an ICE officer fatally shot a woman, a killing that has triggered protests around the country. Coverage of the Minneapolis shooting and its aftermath from The Guardian includes incident reports and 911 transcripts that have helped intensify calls for oversight.
Students Plan To Keep Organizing
Organizers said the walkouts will not be the last word. Students are planning trainings and additional demonstrations, including learning how to serve as legal observers at future protests and rallies. Local coverage has noted that student leaders want to pressure elected officials for tighter oversight of ICE and stronger protections for immigrant neighbors, and TMJ4 reported on organizers' next steps.
The walkouts mark the latest wave of youth organizing around immigration enforcement in Wisconsin. Students say they plan to keep pushing for accountability at both the local and national level, while school districts say they will continue to monitor safety as students exercise their First Amendment rights.
