High school students skipped class Thursday to march in protest to criticize recent actions made by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Students from Chico High School began the protest by walking through Chico State’s campus, until making their way toward City Hall. They were told about the event taking place from social media and from flyers hung around their high schools.
As students marched, they chanted “Love not hate, that’s what makes America great!” and “No one is illegal on stolen land!” Those chants were accompanied by other slogans that were criticisms toward ICE and the current administration.
The event was organized by Kenya Rangel, Jessica Covarrubias and an adult the student organizers asked to remain anonymous. The organizers planned to have this event on the same day as the Pleasant Valley High School (PV) protest.
“The protest was arranged in one day after we found out that Pleasant Valley High School was gonna have a walkout, so we had to participate as well,” Rangel said. “We thought about it for a couple of minutes and then realized it was what we had to do — our school didn’t agree with the idea.
“They emailed every student’s parents and said that if the student participated, we would get a cut in our attendance, but we didn’t care; we risked it all to speak out for those who couldn’t.”
Rangel said that students would get a cut in attendance for missing class and attending the protest. Despite the risk, students still participated in Thursday’s protest.
Many students shared the same sentiment about wanting change on how ICE has been treating immigrants within the United States. Even though the students faced repercussions, they stated that they were focused on getting their voices out to the public.
“And I’m more about abolishing (ICE), ’cause it ain’t right to mistreat another human, just because of their color, ’cause they’re not your race, you know?” said Chico High student Jose.
“I got friends. I got people who got their family separated. It’s just sad to see it,” said August, a student at Chico High. “I want to try to offer a change, you know?”
When students arrived at City Hall, they gathered around the front of the building. They remained outside of City Hall, chanting and shouting anti-ICE slogans as drivers went by honking their horns, until about 3 p.m., when they shortly dispersed.
“I’m out here to protest ICE, because they’re doing fucked up shit,” said Sawyer, a student at Chico High. “This is a free country, and they can’t be doing that. They’re deporting immigrants, they’re deporting people with green cards, they’re deporting non-immigrants, they’re deporting kids. Kids like Liam.”
Liam Conejo Ramos is a 5-year-old Ecuadorian asylum-seeking child who, on Jan. 20, was detained by ICE. His family at the time of the arrest had an active asylum case in the United States during that time. His photo shows him wearing a blue, bunny hat and a Spiderman backpack. The name has been circulating throughout social media and has been a focus of controversy amongst political figures, sparking debate about ICE enforcement when it involves children.
Trevor, another student from Chico High, then followed and added onto the shared sentiment amongst the protestors by sharing, “I’m out here because my family is a family of immigrants. My family comes from people who came here for a better life for their children, and I can’t stand here and watch other people who are dressed like my family and me be treated this way.”
Note: Students’ last names were redacted as an effort to have them remain anonymous for safety reasons.
Brenden Masson can be reached at [email protected].
