Photo by Nevaeh Guadamuz
Many Long Beach Unified School District high school students walked out of class or school Friday morning, part of a nationwide protest over ICE enforcement here and across the country. We asked high school students from the comprehensive LBUSD high schools for their opinions on the protest–good, bad, or anything in between.
Many of them planned on attending the protest, or marching to City Hall where a large group of high school students led chants and asked city leadership to do more to keep ICE out of Long Beach. Others questioned the sincerity of some of the protesters, and wondered if their classmates were looking for a reasons to skip school.
While we didn’t assign any of our student-interns to cover the protest, many said they were planning on attending already and offered photos and in-person coverage of the protest. Responses have been edited for length and clarity
Flor Garibay, Cabrillo
This is my second time participating in a walkout for my school. As I see all of the familiar faces of my community show up, I leave my school gates knowing that I’m speaking up for those who can’t. I am so blessed to be in such a diverse community like Long Beach.
Although many adults think these “silly” walkouts are just ways for students to skip school, we skip our lessons to teach the country a lesson that immigrants are humans who have built this country! Not only is it important for individuals to be walking the streets peacefully protesting, all of the documentation and photos taken are now apart of Long Beach culture that will forever remain and continue in the city’s history.
Nevaeh Guadamuz, Long Beach Poly
I believe in people speaking up about what is happening around them. There is something powerful about choosing to show up and say that you care. At the same time, I feel like many people use walkouts as an excuse to skip school rather than take a real stand. I have protested before, and when it is done with intention, it makes you look closely at the world and at who is truly supporting the cause. That kind of moment can feel hopeful. A walkout only matters if it is taken seriously. When it turns into an opportunity to leave class and go somewhere else, it sends the wrong message and becomes a bad example for other students.
When it comes to ICE, people are suffering. Families are being separated. People are being killed and targeted simply because of their skin color, even when they are U.S. citizens. It feels wrong to take that kind of suffering and turn it into an excuse. I stand by protesting because I believe students should speak up. Protesting brings people together and reminds us that we have a voice and a responsibility. My perspective on ICE is that they are going beyond enforcing laws and are instead criminalizing people. They act with power similar to police or the military. This is the violence being brought into our communities that is becoming normalized. That is why I believe this is something we need to put an end to.
Lorelei Brennan, Millikan
I believe that having this walk out is a really great opportunity for students and people suffering with the state of our country. I have recently had a lot of thoughts about America and how important it is to me that people, especially young adults’, voices are being heard. I think that sometimes our society believes that we don’t notice or don’t see what is going on in our world, but we truly do unfortunately. I have been seeing a lot of backlash towards journalists and the press for speaking the truth and sharing what’s going on, and it makes me sad to see that is how it is at this time, so it is important for me to try and see what I can do to help. I will be partaking in this walk out to make a statement and try to help, even if it’s just a little bit to make a difference.
Troye Gardner, Jordan
Renee Good, Keith Porter Jr., Alex Pretti—that’s not even half of the victims who have died in ICE-related shootings, with eight reported deaths this month alone. U.S. officials have made the deportation of undocumented immigrants—people who have starved, fought, and worked to build the backbone of America—their top priority, pouring $79 billion into enforcement while ignoring the facilities and programs devastated by the 43-day government shutdown, newly imposed tariffs, skyrocketing homelessness, and the looming threat of nuclear conflict. In the Long Beach/Signal Hill area alone, we’ve seen eight verified arrests, two targeted sweeps, and one wrongful detention in just the past 29 days. Yet even those who aren’t in power seem to be doing more than those who are.
LBUSD’s acknowledgment and support of Friday’s walkout shows how critical this moment is for everyone, not just the adults who risk being ripped away from their families. America is facing a time of serious social unrest, increasing poverty, and what feels like authoritarian rule. We keep the victims’ names in our hearts and fight so they will never be forgotten. This walkout is our exercise of a God-given right to freedom of speech and protest—the strongest form of resilience, civil disobedience, and most importantly, peaceful resistance. By amplifying the voices of the unheard and confronting the evil behind these acts and the people who commit them, we stand together. Know that you are never alone, and that we’re all human at the end of the day.
While I won’t be able to participate, my heart goes out to those who did, to those who are grieving, and to everyone supporting this movement.
Samantha Santana, Wilson
In this moment of resistance the walkout at many different LBUSD schools highlights the importance of immigration and human rights. When walking in the hallways or in classes it can feel overwhelming or uncomfortable, but even the most uncomfortable must be addressed and not hidden. The feeling of not knowing what could happen during or after brings worry and anxiety. I know that if we all do take action of our own as students we can make a difference.
As teenagers we get told our input doesn’t really matter unless we can vote because we are still dependent on others, but if we take the initiative to do what we believe is right then why not encourage it?
We are told things are just like this but we are the people who get impacted by these choices in the long run. On the other side it is scary to think that we are not all the same. It leaves the thought of “what if” because of others’ actions. Will some students use this as an excuse to get out of class? Will they do inappropriate activities that don’t represent the purpose of why we are walking out? I also think of what will school staff do? Are we going to feel supported? Being around different students and staff makes it hard to know what is or not true. We can only hope that the students and their actions are standing in solidarity and not just an act.
Lily Otero, Long Beach Poly
From my perspective as a student and as a woman of color, the walkout is at this time one of the most important events for everyone to participate in because it is one of the few forms of action against ICE that we as a community can take. In this time of tyranny, communities are in constant fear and families are being submitted into grief because those that are meant to protect us and our rights are serving for money instead of humanity. With such a big Hispanic presence in Long Beach, it is imperative that we do what we can and protest. Participating in the walkout and continuing to protest the presence of ICE isn’t a matter of politics or preferences anymore, it’s about basic human rights.
Dayana Martinez, Cabrillo
As a proud Mexican-American student from LBUSD, built upon a diverse community, I stand in solidarity with the walkout. Throughout all of last year, ICE has been actively targeting our Long Beach neighborhoods, particularly the Hispanic community. This has had a profound negative impact on several people in my community, affecting how they get by day by day. I’ve spoken to many that say they’ve become fearful of going to school, work, or shopping at a grocery store — simply doing everyday tasks afraid of being targeted due to the way they might speak or look.
I’ve seen this happening all over America, specifically in Minneapolis, a city in the state of Minnesota, whose people have been actively protesting the aggressive acts ICE has brought to their communities, inspiring many other cities throughout the nation to stand up. In the span of a month, we’ve seen the deaths of two fellow American citizens, a result of the chaos that continues to further divide our nation. I stand with my fellow classmates and encourage them to unite and inspire others to participate in this cause in a peaceful manner.
Roselynn Diggs, Poly
Over the past few months, conversations about ICE and immigration enforcement have felt impossible to ignore, especially here in Long Beach. As a student growing up in a city shaped by immigrant communities, these issues feel close to home rather than distant national debates. Friends, classmates, teachers, and local business owners all come from families with immigration stories, and that makes the presence and actions of ICE feel deeply personal. Watching families in our community live with fear and uncertainty has made it difficult for me to accept policies that are being presented by our government as “necessary” but feel unnecessarily cruel and inhumane, especially in a city that prides itself on diversity and inclusion.
The protests and walkouts planned around these issues have pushed many students, including myself, to reflect on how we respond. Some students choose to walk out as a way to speak out for their families and communities, while others engage through conversation, education, or supporting local organizations that serve immigrant families in Long Beach. While students may disagree on how to take action, there is a shared understanding that every single person in our community deserves dignity, safety, and compassion. These conversations show how connected students are to what is happening around them and highlight the importance of acknowledging the real human impact that immigration enforcement has on cities all across the country.
Abigail Sharman, Millikan
I feel as though walkouts give power to the youth and encourage people to fight for their rights. However, people will forever have a shell of ignorance and the astounding numbers of my peers utilizing this powerful form of protest as a blatant excuse to just “skip school” and to go hangout and buy from the exact corporations that fund the atrocities they pretend to be opposed to is beyond astounding to me. People have the power, especially the youth. Just because we are young doesn’t mean we are powerless.
