Tipsheet

Student ‘ICE Out’ Protests Go Viral Across US – Now Schools are Taking Action

Jeff Charles
Jeff Charles  |  February 21, 2026 12:00 PM

K-12 students across the country are facing disciplinary action after participating in walkouts to protest Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations.

The walkout trend began after the fatal shootings of civilians in Minnesota by ICE and Border Patrol agents. Footage showing the demonstrations have gone viral on social media. But some schools are taking action against those who participate, according to The Hill.

Hundreds of K-12 students across the country have received detention or suspension after participating in classroom walkouts to protest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) efforts.  

Such anti-ICE or “ICE out” walkouts have increasingly popped up after Renee Good and Alex Pretti were shot and killed by federal immigration officers in Minneapolis last month.

But experts say leaving school grounds is not a form of protest protected under the First Amendment for students, and Republican leaders are warning of consequences for those who participate.

“I applaud Mustang Superintendent Dr. Charles Bradley for suspending 122 students who walked out of class to protest,” Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) wrote on social platform X on Wednesday. “Young Oklahomans: Free speech is sacred, but truancy robs your future. Stay in school, build skills, and make your voice heard responsibly.” 

But as the Trump administration presses ahead with its aggressive immigration agenda, walkouts could spread, with some students objecting to the Trump policies generally and others marching in the names of detainees they personally know.

The protests have occurred in several states, including Texas, Virginia, Indiana, and others. Students have been leaving class during the school day to demand an end to aggressive federal immigration enforcement operations.

School administrators say they are trying to strike a balance between students’ free speech rights and compulsory attendance laws — especially as these rallies begin to spill out beyond campus boundaries and into the streets.

Teens in multiple Marion County, Indiana, high schools coordinated “ICE out” protests near major roadways and told reporters that administrators put campuses “on hold” and had staff prevent them from leaving, according to the Indiana Star.

Students describe the protests as a moral stand. One student in San Antonio, Texas, said, “We thought it was ridiculous that they were silencing us, and wanted our voices to be heard and wanted to speak out for those who can’t speak for themselves,” KSAT reported.