“Even though a lot of people that I know and at the school have said, ‘What does the walk out do? You’re not directly affecting anything,’ I think it shows that there are people who aren’t accepting what’s happening and that it is wrong,” -Peyton, a senior at Maple Grove High (MPR).
With all the turbulent events currently in Minnesota, there has been an effect on the lives on many students and citizens in the state. On a greater scale, there have been mass protests in our state and others, but on a smaller scale, the students of schools in Minnesota state have expressed their displeasure with ICE too. In Lakeville both North and South High School students staged walkouts.
Lakeville North’s student walkout
Lakeville North held the bigger of the two walkouts, having taken place on the 14th of January. Lakeville North students left immediately following 5th hour and walked down to the corner of Dodd Blvd and 202nd St. W (Near the Mcdonalds and Kwik Trip), the protest was slated to end at 4 pm. From there, they met with students from Lakeville South, totaling around 150 when all was said and done. The students from both schools held up a collection of flags, such as the American flag and the Mexican flag, and signs such as “Abolish ICE”, “No human is illegal”, and “Love Melts Ice”. Multiple students from North gave speeches, one featuring a personal story about a students’ relative being tackled in a home depot parking lot by ICE.
The event felt pretty happy in contrast to its darker topic; many students seemed happy to be with those that felt similarly to them. This positive environment saw some students cracking jokes with each other and the distribution of soda and hand warmers. With the Corner of Dodd Blvd and 202nd St. W being a busy 4 way intersection, many cars drove by and received the students’ message. The students received lots of honks in support and thumbs up from a range of different drivers. Despite this, there was also a share of negative reactions. Some drivers opted to flip off the students before driving off as the light changed.
Despite the talk of counter protest, interaction between protesters and counter protesters was minimal. Around the end of the march to the corner in which the protest was held, 2 pickup trucks and a smaller car carrying a Trump flag sped by the students. This group only sped past around twice before one of the cop cars watching over the event to keep everyone safe got closer to the protesters. The rest of the attempts to counter the protest were pretty small and ended after 20-30 minutes. One truck, seemingly counter protesting, played “Born in the U.S.A.”, a song by Bruce Springsteen who ironically recently released an anti-ICE protest song titled “Streets of Minneapolis”.
Lakeville South’s student walkout
As for Lakeville south, students walked out of the building during cougar time on January 15th. Around 50 students participated with some bringing signs. Students lined up along the edge of the road near the bus parking lot. The protest received some honks in favor of the students’ message; one parent even showed up across the street to support the walkout. As for the again talked about counter protests, there was none. Only one negative interaction was had when one individual drove by and yelled “(F-word) you guys.”
Other student walkouts in Minnesota
As for other schools in the state, many have also staged walkouts. Around 500 students participated in Roseville and about 300 in Maple Grove (MPR). Also according to MPR, the community is getting involved too, as “around the region, parents are organizing to-go grocery shopping for families who are too afraid to leave their homes.” School districts are also doing their best to keep students safe. Both Minneapolis and St. Paul have cancelled classes for student safety, but Minneapolis schools are individually trying to keep their students safe by “offer(ing) an optional online learning opportunity for families who may need it through Feb. 12.” St. Paul schools are “discussing virtual learning options for students afraid of coming to school because of the ICE operations and (are urging) parents to speak directly with leaders at their kids’ schools.” (MPR) Also detailed by MPR, is Paula Cole’s, a Richfield school board member, statement while at a protest: “This is beyond the imagination,” she added. “I am here to join in our community and ask our federal government authorities and members of the United States Congress to restore peace and safety by recalling your ICE agents away from Minnesota.” The Fridley school district is also using extra security to monitor for ICE activity and keep students safe.
Lakeville school district’s policy on ICE
The Lakeville Area School District’s policy on ICE can be found on the district’s website. This policy states specifically that “Lakeville Area Schools staff members will not aid ICE access to students or staff on school property or on school buses.” and that “Lakeville Area Schools staff members will not release private student or staff data, including address or personal contact information, to ICE agents”, with the only exception being an “extremely rare” judicial warrant. The school district also states that “(they) do not request or maintain information about the immigration status” of any students or families and that in the event that a student’s parent/guardian is detained during school, the student’s emergency contact will be called along with the schools help in ensuring safety.
