After fourth period at 11:35 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 27, an estimated 55 students walked out of the main entrance of Antioch Community High School in protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), according to a student reporter’s count.
The “Abolish ICE” movement is an effort to dismantle ICE, which first gained mainstream attention in the summer of 2018. The movement was renewed in 2025 after Donald Trump’s deportation policies and is now referred to as “Melt ICE”.
ACHS administration had limited time to prepare for the protest after hearing about it the morning of the event. However, administrators drew guidance from neighboring high school, Lakes Community High School, where students held the same protest the day before.
In an email sent to staff, administrators notified teachers of the possibility of a protest happening and informed them to adhere to normal attendance and supervision protocols. In addition, the email reminded staff not to engage in political discussions with students and to maintain a supportive learning environment.
After learning of the walkout, administrators said the initial focus was on ensuring student safety while supporting students’ First Amendment rights. They also decided that students who attended the protest would receive a tardy if they arrived late to class or an unexcused absence if they did not attend.
¨We wanted to keep students safe,” Jaclyn Orlov, Assistant Principal of Curriculum, said. “ Students have the right to assemble and the right to express their opinion.”
Students who participated in the walkout wanted the protest to remain peaceful and focused on getting others’ attention.
“This walkout was 100% peaceful, no one was hurt, and most of the participants went back to class once we finished our march,” junior participant Declan Howes-Rehmann said. “We weren’t trying to skip, and we just want our voices heard.”
Howes-Rehmann added that the turnout exceeded his expectations; he anticipated only a small group would participate, but was surprised by the number of students who joined.
Spectators estimated it ended about an hour after it began. During that hour, students walked down Route 173 to McMillen Road, turned around, walked back to the front of the school down Main Street to Orchard Street, and back to the school.
After they returned to the main entrance, the protest ended, with students returning to class and home, and finishing at the corner of Main Street and Route 173.
Many students chose not to participate in the walkout, citing opposing views or feeling that the protest would not lead to change.
“There was no media coverage with the protest, so I thought the protest would be a waste of my time,” senior Jasmine Kanka said.
Views on U.S ICE vary sharply along partisan lines. According to a poll conducted by the Pew Research Center in August 2025, prior to the events in Minnesota in 2026, 72% of Republicans held a favorable view of ICE. In contrast, the same poll found that 78% of Democrats expressed an unfavorable view.
The walkout highlighted how national political issues can directly impact students at the local level. While many students chose not to participate, the demonstration allowed others to express their beliefs and exercise their right to protest.
“[The protest] isn’t personal. If you disagree, you should at least understand that the right to protest is protected by our constitution, and that if we don’t do something now, the United States may suffer for decades to come,” Howes-Rehmann said.
