Hundreds of North Side high school students walk out of class, hold anti-ICE rally at River Park

CHICAGO (WLS) — Hundreds of North Side high school students walked out of class on Monday to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The unified walk came as many of the students said they and their families have lived in fear of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.

The students say they surprised themselves with just how many of their classmates showed up. Students representing at least four North Side high schools converged on River Park in what they describe as a “bold act of resistance against ICE.”

“Neighborhoods that are built on diversity are now filled with anxiety and uncertainty,” said Northside College Prep student Luis Delgado. “Families torn apart. Children are painfully separated from their parents, and hard-working people who contribute greatly to our economy are forced to live in fear.”

Just after noon, students from Amundsen, Mather, and Roosevelt high schools, as well as Northside College Prep, marched right out the doors of their schools for a planned walkout and rally. Similar scenes unfolded in the suburbs, where Streamwood High School students also walked out.

“As children in America, we learn many, many things, and among them, one of the very first things we learn is the Pledge of Allegiance, which states that liberty and justice is for us all,” said Mather High School student Amari Bell.

Nearly one dozen students took the mic, sharing their perspectives on the impact federal agents have had on their classmates, neighbors, and families.

“Many immigrants come here to escape the violence in their homelands, and the U.S. is deporting them and putting their lives at risk,” said Mather High School student Angelique Guzman.

The students also referenced the deaths of two American citizens at the hands of federal agents in Minneapolis, with many calling for the abolition of ICE.

“If you are a minority, you are a target. If you stand up to them, you are a target. They don’t abide by the Constitution, and they don’t abide by the law,” Guzman said. “This is our chance to elect people that are for the people, that fight for the people, not those who fight for who donate the most money.”

And while the walkout and rally were student-led, they had the support of several elected officials, including Ald. Andre Vasquez.

“I want to thank you all for having the courage a lot of adults don’t have. You all are out here. You organize this whole thing. This is all done by the students to make sure their voices are heard and to call out people who don’t have the courage enough to say that ICE should be abolished and gone, period,” Vasquez said.

Many of the students rallied against ICE for more than two hours.

“When you see something wrong, something unjust, we have the moral obligation to do something about it,” said Mather High School student Benart Babatinca.

And though it is done now, those who are 18 told ABC7 that their next move is to make their voices heard at the polls, referencing the upcoming March 17 primary election.