Lincoln Park High School students protest ICE
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Hundreds of students marched from Lincoln Park High School to an administrative building in the park Friday afternoon to protest the action of federal immigration agents. Photo: Monica Eng/Axios
Hundreds of Lincoln Park High School students left class early Friday to protest ICE, joining a growing wave of Chicago-area students speaking out against federal immigration tactics.
Why it matters: The protests underscore how profoundly stepped up ICE raids over the last year have affected Chicago Public Schools.
- They also suggest that the next generation of Chicago voters cares deeply about the issue. Several 18 year olds at the rally vowed make their voices heard at the ballot box this year.
Context: The march was organized by the LPHS chapter of Civic Leaders of America, which organized its yearly student rally around "No Kings" last year and chose immigration as its focus this year.
- While immigration actions have subsided in recent months, some federal officials have vowed to remount a local surge in March.
What they're saying: "No one should have to fear walking out their homes or face discrimination for the color of their skin," LPHS senior London Robison tells Axios. "No one is illegal on stolen land."
- "I think it's really important to use our voices to create opportunities and make the world a better place for everybody," junior Sophie Lejeune told Axios. "We all have to work together to show those who fear they might be taken away that we're with them."
What happened: The large procession marched with a police escort down Lincoln Avenue to Armitage and over to Clark, where they gave speeches on the steps of the former Academy of Sciences building in Lincoln Park.
- Near the end of the rally, a man in a trench coat approached the teens, shouting obscenities and insisting they had been "fed lies."
- Police prevented a physical confrontation by moving the man away from the area.
"He definitely had the right [to shout at us]," LPHS junior Isabella Scaffai told Axios, "but it highlighted the importance of numbers and staying peaceful so we don't appear to be aggressors."
What's next: Scaffai says organizers hope to build on the momentum and join forces with other local high schools to "empower young people throughout CPS."