Students walk out, protest ICE
MADISON (WKOW) — Hundreds of students from Madison East and West high schools walked out of class and marched to the Wisconsin State Capitol on Tuesday, holding a rally to protest recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) actions.
The student-led protest was sparked by last week’s shooting in Minneapolis that killed 37-year-old Renee Good. Protesters said the incident intensified fears surrounding immigration enforcement and safety in their communities.
Students walking through downtown Madison as a part of the protest told 27 News they believe everyone deserves respect and should feel safe in public spaces without fear of immigration enforcement.
“There’s a lot of fear in people,” said Henry, a West High School student who helped organize the walkout. He did not want to share his last name.
Henry said he felt it was important for students to take visible action rather than limiting discussion to classrooms or school announcements.
“I thought about putting some things up around school, but this is a bigger issue than just putting signs up or talking about it over announcements,” Henry said. “I wanted to help people do something.”
The protest was organized entirely by students, but 27 News did receive a response from the school district. In a statement, a spokesperson for the Madison Metropolitan School District said: Though today’s events were neither organized nor sanctioned by the district, MMSD is fully supportive of students exercising their First Amendment right to peaceful assembly. We encourage them to engage in responsible civic activism and speak out on issues that matter to them, while understanding that schools will continue to follow attendance and instructional expectations.
Speakers at the Capitol addressed the crowd, drawing cheers, as one rally speaker declared, “No one is illegal on stolen land.”
Several students said they were encouraged by the turnout.
“I was just really happy to see everyone united over this and working toward one thing,” Jenna Childress said. “It really made me think about what we could achieve.”
Another student said the large crowd showed the potential impact of collective action.
“There’s a lot of us. We can make a difference, and that’s what matters here” the Zaila Schmidt said. “We don’t want people living in fear. It’s a free country; it should be that way.”