About 200 Naperville North students walked out of school midday Friday to protest actions being taken by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE.
During a mile-long march from the high school into downtown Naperville, students waved Mexican flags and held homemade signs with such messages as, “Abolish ICE” and “Nobody is Illegal on Stolen Land.”
They spoke of community and unity and said they believed ICE’s actions around the country were tearing families apart. Some students said they personally knew of friends and relatives who had been detained by ICE agents.
Some teens said they recognized they may be in trouble for missing classes, but believed a peaceful protest was one thing they could do to bring awareness and push for meaningful change.
Mia, a junior, held a sign that said, “History Repeats if We Stay Silent.”
“It’s really important for people right now to understand what is going on in government is not just about politics,” she said. “It’s more about what is morally right and what’s wrong. It’s about human decency. People are being stripped from their families.
“I think a lot of people need to open their eyes and realize that what is going on is real,” she said. “It’s important for us to skip our lessons to teach other people lessons.”
As the students marched, cars on the street honked to show support. People stepped outside of businesses to take cell phone photos and videos and passersby cheered. The majority of people the students encountered were supportive.
Some students blew whistles, which has become a community tactic used to alert neighbors that ICE agents are in the area, and others chanted, “Abolish ICE.” A few chants contained expletives directed at the immigration agency.
Ana, a junior, said it is “so heartbreaking” to see families torn apart.
“If we don’t use our voices, then what else are we going to do,” she said.
Lucas, a freshman, pointed to the shootings and killings of people by ICE this year.
“I’ve decided this is important because our neighbors are being kidnapped and killed by ICE,” he said. “I heard about (the protest) yesterday, and I want to join this mission: Abolish ICE.”
Peaceful protest might change minds, he said.
“I’m absolutely so very happy this many people showed,” he said. “Bringing this awareness to the community … is more important than school.”
Junior Skylar held a sign that read, “ICE Arrests Color, Not Crime,” in response to a Supreme Court decision that cleared the way for racial profiling during immigration raids.
“(Racial profiling) needs to stop,” she said.
Keira, a junior, said current events have been disturbing.
The last words of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse shot and killed by ICE agents in Minneapolis, were “Are you OK,” she noted, while the last words of Renee Good, a 37-year-old mom also killed by ICE agents, were “I’m not mad at you.”
Events in Minneapolis and around the country inspired her homemade sign, “What Happened to Liberty and Justice For All?”
“It’s so meaningful that everyone is out here, looking out for immigrants,” Keira said. “What’s going on with this administration is not right. This is not what America was built on.
“We should be a community,” she said. “It does mean a lot we are all gathering here together.”
Alex, a senior, said he is proud of his fellow classmates who attended the protest.
“We want to use our voices for those who can’t, and we just want the world to be a better place,” he said.
Several students said they hoped their elected officials are watching. They noted they are the next generation of leaders and they are also entering voting age.
“We might be young, but we know what’s right from wrong,” Britney, a senior, said. “We know what’s going on is unjust. … This is not just a phase. We are trying to accomplish something. (We want) respect, justice. We are humans.
“People are being violently killed on the streets,” she said. “It’s crazy this is happening and our government is letting it happen.”
Naperville North’s walkout coincided with similar protest events being conducted by students nationwide.
Naperville School District 203’s officials said the consequences of the students leaving school comes down to their individual situations. Attendance and any follow-up actions are addressed on a case-by-case basis according to guidelines in the student handbook.
“While we support our students’ right to peaceful expression, our primary priority remains maintaining a safe and orderly learning environment for all,” a district statement said. “Students are expected to adhere to the policies and attendance guidelines outlined in the NNHS Student Handbook.”
Michelle Mullins is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.
