Shortridge High School latest to stage anti-ICE walkout
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Students at Shortridge High School protested ICE on Friday. Photo: Arika Herron/Axios
Central Indiana students are continuing to protest federal immigration policies, walking out of area high schools by the hundreds.
The big picture: Young people around the country are adding their voices to the larger protest movement against ICE in the wake of the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, as well as the killings of Silverio Villegas González in Chicago and Keith Porter Jr. in Los Angeles.
- Their heightened levels of activism are adding momentum to the movement while drawing criticism from conservative politicians and organizations.
Driving the news: Hundreds of students walked out of Shortridge High School on Friday afternoon.
- Among them was junior Dania M., whose uncle was deported and had a portion of her family recently self-deport to be with him.
- Her parents are scared to leave the house, she said. Because they don't have legal status, she worries every time she's away from them and regularly checks their location on her phone.
- "I'm out here for my parents," she said. "They don't have a voice."
What they're saying: "We will not, and cannot, stand for the violent actions happening in our cities, states and country due to ICE," said Campbell Bell, a junior at Shortridge who helped organize the protest, which took place during the last period of the school day.
- "ICE is a threat to our next generation of leaders and workers, who have the great opportunity to make our country somewhere where this fear doesn't exist. That needs to end, and it ends with us."
State of play: While some state leaders have criticized the walkouts and one state representative called the activism "highly orchestrated indoctrination," House Speaker Todd Huston (R-Fishers) told reporters last week he supports students "making their voices known."
- "I think it's great that kids care and they're civically involved," he said. "I think that's important. I don't think they should interrupt and disrupt the academic day to do it. I think that's a mistake."
- "But I'm glad that they're making their voices known, their concerns known as part of the process. I'm glad that the kids are active."
Between the lines: The walkouts have drawn varying responses from school leaders, too.
- Hundreds of students have walked out of high schools in Marion, Hamilton and Boone counties in recent weeks, where schools have largely supported students so long as they don't interrupt instruction and follow attendance policies.
Shortridge junior Luis Ardon said he was proud to see so many of his classmates standing up for themselves and their community.
- "I think a lot of people forget to do that, especially in a world as scary as ours," he said. "But I'm very proud that we can be here all together, unified for a cause like this."
- "Our voices are being heard."