Since the inauguration of President Donald J. Trump, thousands of people have protested against his recent immigration crackdown and mass deportation plan, the majority of those protesting being students.

On Feb. 11, seven students attempted to walk out the front doors of Mt. SAC Early College Academy (MECA) to join a student protest alongside other West Covina Unified School District (WCUSD) schools. However, two were caught by the gathered administrators and brought back to school.

One of the MECA students who participated in the walkout was senior Alonzo Galindo. He mentions, “It was great to see other like-minded people coming out for the same reasons as me.”

He describes the protest as peaceful, saying, “Even when a counter-protester came, people held back.”

In the days leading up to the protest, specifically since Feb. 7, an Instagram account named @westco_walkout emerged. The account is dedicated to hosting a WCUSD-wide protest at all high schools against Trump’s new crackdown on immigration.

“I’ve seen the accounts that people have been posting; it’s [all] very similar,” explains Ariana Parra, a senior at MECA “All of them [say] we want to stand up against ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement). This is a very peaceful protest. They were very clear about that. It’s a peaceful protest, so hopefully, we don’t want anything too destructive.”

One of the pinned posts on the account introduced the idea of a walkout: “On Tuesday, February 11, during lunch, West Covina High School students will be having a peaceful student walkout! We’ll be meeting up at West Covina High School! Join us in making a difference against the brutality toward immigrants! WCHS, South Hills, Edgewood, and Mt. SAC will be participating. We invite all who would like to make a difference to join us in this walk against ICE!”

News spread quickly among WCUSD students, with the account gaining 174 followers in four days and the post gaining over 200 likes. Eventually, students from each WCUSD school began sharing times when they would walk out. For MECA students, the walkout began at 12:05 p.m., about halfway through the lunch period.

“I saw one group, about five people-ish, they just walked out,” explains Parra. “I don’t think [the administration] expected people to walk out. And then I saw two other people go out, and they went to protest as well with their signs.”

In preparation for this walkout, the district office had five extra administrative officials positioned at MECA’s entrance. The administrators were meant to discourage students from leaving, as it is against the law to miss school without a valid excuse.

According to the ACLU, protesting is a constitutional right, even at school, but attendance is required by law. The California Truancy Law states that if a student misses more than 30 minutes of class without an excuse three times throughout the school year, it must be classified as a truant and must be reported.

“You have to look at it from the school’s perspective, where there are laws in place for protection and liability and all those other things where an underaged student is the responsibility of the school,” states physical education and study skills teacher Matthew Johnson.

Some students were deterred by the presence of the administrators.

“I came late [to school], so I saw a lot more personnel,” explains Katelynn Lee, a junior at MECA. “Honestly, I didn’t get that good of a vibe… I think [their presence] was to stop students because it’s scary. A lot of students were planning to go, and they were like, well, what if I got in trouble?”

Although it is currently unknown when WCUSD was informed, teachers at MECA were notified prior to the start of school in an email from Principal Ryan McDonnell that a walkout was scheduled and that they should keep the school as close to normal as possible for students.

“It was on social media over the weekend, so we got an email saying this is what will happen,” explains Johnson. “But as far as the walkout here, I just saw kids left, and people were talking about it.”

Both Lee and Parra noted that many students who were originally planning to protest did not go because of the possible repercussions. As a senior, Parra mentioned that she would have participated in the walkout but didn’t want her senior special events and privileges removed.

“I don’t want my opportunities taken away just because I wanted to go protest,” says Parra. “These events, opportunities, and privileges mean way too much to me and my family to risk losing them because I wanted to go protest.”

Johnson acknowledges students’ hesitation to protest due to the possible consequences they may face. However, he also believes that students should consider if the repercussions of protesting outweigh the cause they are protesting against. “If you’re the student and you make that decision, then you should understand that there are some things worth getting quote-on-quote in trouble for.”

Since his first run as president in 2016, Trump has consistently been harsh on immigration. He has repeatedly emphasized the need for stricter immigration policies and advocated for measures that aimed to secure the border and reduce illegal immigration.

However, Trump’s administration implemented several controversial policies, including family separations at the border and attempts to revoke protections for certain immigrant groups, reinforcing his commitment to a hardline immigration agenda.

This approach has sparked debates about the treatment of migrants in the United States. With nearly 53% of West Covina’s population being Hispanic or Latino, this issue has hit close to home for some.

Samantha Hernandez, a senior from Workman High School in the Hacienda La Puente School District, helped organize the walkouts for her district.

Benjamine Huffman, Acting Secretary of Homeland Security, revoked the Biden Administration’s guidelines for Enforcement Actions that prevented officers from making arrests in protected areas, including churches, hospitals, schools, and others. Statements posted on the Department of Homeland Security’s website read “Criminals will no longer be able to hide in America’s schools and churches to avoid arrest.” This means that ICE officers could arrest students who are undocumented.

Hernandez explains, “Under the Trump administration, ICE has been granted more power to detain and deport individuals. This has led to an increase in fear and uncertainty within immigrant communities, and many people are worried about the future… For many families with undocumented members, there is a real fear of speaking out or drawing attention to themselves.”

Many other students oppose the removal of the Biden Administration’s guidelines for ICE and CBP as they believe that communities will suffer from the lack of them.

Galindo notes, “Trump’s new immigration policy and the fact ICE has become common in our areas has the chance to continue to get worse.”

However, the message of the protest to Hernandez and so many others isn’t just about ICE.

“The central message of these protests is about solidarity, compassion, and standing up for what is right,” Hernandez notes. “It’s about advocating for a society that embraces diversity and fosters equality for everyone—regardless of their immigration status…These movements are also calling for systemic change in how our country treats immigrants.”

More protests are scheduled for the local area, including one on President’s Day in Los Angeles.

Galindo says, “The best way to fight is by making statements, no matter how small. If we consistently work together, we can make a difference.”

This story was originally published on The Academy Chronicle on February 12, 2025.