Barrington, Hersey students stage walkouts to protest immigration enforcement
Students in Barrington and Arlington Heights walked out of their classes and spilled onto nearby streets Tuesday to protest federal immigration enforcement actions.
Barrington High School students stepped out about 10 a.m., walking on Main Street toward downtown. The mood was boisterous, as they held signs and chanted anti-U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement slogans.
“We’re seeing a lot of people that are legal immigrants, and they’re still getting taken away and sent away, and families are just getting broken up,” said Alex Acevedo, a junior. “We don’t want that anymore. It’s time to make it right.”
Federal authorities have disputed such accusations, insisting that immigration agents are targeting primarily violent offenders and others with criminal backgrounds.
Several students cited personal connections to immigration. Armani Cruz, a sophomore whose parents immigrated to the United States, said he was protesting “for my people.”
“I’m Hispanic. My mom came here. So did my dad, and I’m really just supporting my family,” Cruz said. “We need a lot more people to stand up against Donald Trump and ICE.”
Alexis Brown, a senior, said this was her first protest.
“Everything that ICE is doing right now is wrong,” she said.
Several drivers honked their horns as they drove past students to show their support. However, Brian Long of Long & Co. Jewelers said a protester damaged a sign he had placed on the sidewalk near the Main Street business.
About 100 students walked out of John Hersey High School in Arlington Heights at 11:20 a.m. The students, some holding posters and carrying flags, chanted “ICE out” and “immigrants are welcome” as they marched from Hersey to Thomas Middle School, then back to the high school.
The event was organized on social media over the last week, said senior Eva Szwajka.
“What’s happening in Minnesota is a big contributor to a lot of people. People are realizing this is an issue that matters to them,” Szwajka said. “The moment was right. Students were upset.”
In a letter sent to parents the night before, Principal Heath McFaul said the school wouldn’t prohibit student-led expression, and that students would be permitted to express their views so long as it was in a “lawful and nondisruptive manner.”
Administrators, staff and safety personnel were present to ensure a secure environment for any student that chose to participate, McFaul said. School leaders did not endorse or support the walkout and class attendance was taken, per school policy, he added.
Szwajka said she received an unexcused absence for her third period class.
“I think it’s kinda part of the movement — the fact that you are willing to get an absence to speak out for what you believe in,” she said.