A student walkout occurred Feb. 6 to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), beginning at 2 p.m. It lasted for about an hour.
During the protest, students walked around the BVNW and DAC parking lot, chanting, holding signs and playing music. According to participants, the walkout was organized through promotion on this Instagram account.
Junior Muntaha Salahuddin was one of the students who participated in the walkout and had a sign that said “No one is illegal on stolen land.” On the back of her sign, she said she had the names of people who had died “by the hands of ICE” and read them aloud using a microphone during the walk. Salahuddin said it was important for her to protest ICE because her parents are immigrants.
“This is for my family, and this is for my friends in our nation that are being killed and taken,” Salahuddin said.
Another participant, senior Aysha Hassen, said she participated in the walkout because she has experienced firsthand what it feels like to see people killed in a place claiming to be free.
“I’m here to fight for those people who can’t,” Hassen said.
School Resource Officer Jonathan Batley, administrators and other Blue Valley District officers were around the area where protesters were walking to ensure students’ safety in traffic and with counterprotesters.
“We know these things can get emotional, and people can get their feelings hurt, and things can happen,” Batley said. “We just want to keep an eye on them from a distance and make sure nothing’s getting too crazy.”
Batley said he took two reports, though nobody was injured and no fights occurred.
Assistant Principal Jeff Aman said those organizing the walkout communicated with school administrators prior to the protest. Aman said the goal of administration was to ensure all students were safe and district protocols were followed.
“Our job is to educate students, so making sure that school is in session and running, and that also that our students, when they’re on campus, are safe,” Aman said.
In addition, principal Leah Vomhof said the Student Code of Conduct must be followed.
“The same rules that apply inside our building apply for student-led protests on school grounds,” Vomhof said.
On Feb. 10, a separate protest related to the same issue took place at 7:30 a.m. before school. About 10 students gathered near the road outside BVNW, holding signs and chanting “No hate, no fear, immigrants are welcome here” as cars drove by and as students arrived on campus.
Senior Adrian Boci, who was not participating in the protest, said he took a photo of the group of protestors as he arrived at school.
“I took a picture just to almost take it as a memory, because you won’t see this stuff that often,” Boci said. “I thought it was pretty cool to look back and be like, ‘Oh yeah, I remember this.’”
Batley also observed the morning protest from his patrol car in the parking lot. He said law enforcement and the school district support students exercising their First Amendment rights while prioritizing safety.
“We try to work with them when we can to help get a plan together that keeps them safe [and] still allows them to be seen [and] heard,” Batley said.
Sophomore Keaton Hetrick, who organized the Feb. 10 protest, said he wanted to provide another opportunity for students to speak out. He said as students held signs near the road, some drivers smiled and honked in support while others flipped them off.
“The most important thing we can do is use our voice,” Hetrick said. “It doesn’t matter what reaction they give to us. They’re still looking at us, and that’s the message we’re trying to send.”
Blue Valley North sophomore Lucas Holtorf said he attended the Feb. 10 protest after seeing a friend who attended post about it on Instagram.
“I have a lot of friends that could be at risk of ICE raids, so it feels personal to me,” Holtorf said. “I want to help stop injustice in the district, the state and the country.”
Holtorf said although the group was small, he believes showing up still matters.
“Even though this little protest of like 12 people won’t do much, it’s the principle of it, and it makes a difference in some people’s minds,” Holtorf said.
He said he hopes a similar protest will take place at Blue Valley North.
“Due process is for everyone,” Holtorf said. “Love wins.”
