Public School Students Protest To Make Their Opinions About ICE Known
By David James Heiss and Brian Spears
Redlands News Collective
More than 400 students walked out of classes Friday to gather at major intersections, protesting the tactics of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
By 11:30 a.m., approximately 40 students, primarily from Beattie Middle School, had assembled at San Bernardino Avenue and Orange Street. Eighth-grader Giselle Ramirez said the group walked for roughly an hour to reach the site, accompanied by at least four adults in pink vests who served as safety monitors.
Photo by David James Heiss
Middle school students assemble at the corner of San Bernardino Avenue and Orange Street.
“I want to speak up for those who can’t,” Ramirez said.
Her peers echoed the sentiment. Sixth-grader Linda Cazares Moreno added, “No one can silence us as long as you’re human.”
The protest drew students with deeply personal connections to the issue. Rose Jackson, a seventh-grader at Beattie, said she participated because her family has struggled to obtain residency.
Courtesy photo
Redlands High School senior Taylor Herron stands at Peace Corner with her former kindergarten teacher, John Smith.
“A lot of my family is having trouble getting green cards,” Jackson said. “Even though we can’t vote, we can still make our voices heard.”
In downtown Redlands, scores of students from Redlands High School and nearby middle schools gathered at the intersection of Redlands Boulevard and Orange Street. The location, colloquially known as “Peace Corner” for its history of political demonstrations, was filled with students holding signs to the sound of supportive honks from passing motorists.
While the demonstration was largely peaceful, a brief scuffle occurred in front of Ozel Jewelers when two small groups of students confronted one another on the sidewalk.
Redlands Police Department had officers on patrol and in the vicinity in anticipation of the protests, and maintained a visible presence throughout the area, said Carl Baker, public information officer for the city.
For many, the walkout was about challenging perceptions of youth.
Photo by David James Heiss
Khloe Jara, left, and her brother Isaiah, with a message.
“People don’t think we can say anything because we’re young,” said eighth-grader Ivy Melgar. “We’re trying to make a movement and let the world know what we’re going through.”
Isaiah Jara, a junior at Redlands High School, joined his younger sister, Khloe, a Moore Middle School student, at the downtown site.
“ICE destroys our communities and invades our privacy based on skin color,” Jara said. “They think we’re monsters. We’re human, and we do our part for this country.”
The walkout carries potential academic and legal consequences. Students who leave campus without authorization are subject to California truancy laws. In the Redlands Unified School District, unexcused absences trigger a progressive disciplinary process, beginning with parental notifications and counseling interventions. After five such absences, cases typically escalate to the School Attendance Review Board (SARB).
In a memo to the community, Superintendent Juan Cabral distanced the district from the demonstration.
“These walkouts are not sponsored, endorsed, or supervised by any school site or by the District,” Cabral said. “While [students] have the right to express themselves, our responsibility during the school day remains centered on maintaining a safe, orderly, and supervised learning environment for all.”
Cabral encouraged families to discuss with students how to express their views “in ways that are safe and consistent with school expectations.”
At the end of the school day, Cabral issued another memo indicating that approximately 450 students from Redlands High School, and Cope, Moore, Clement, and Beattie middle schools reportedly left campus to participate in the protests. He paid a “Special thank you to our District Safety Team and the Redlands Police Department for their assistance in monitoring the safety of our students.”
A handful of adults wearing pink safety vests were on hand to help escort students back and forth.
One woman who declined to be identified claimed that “most of us” wearing pink vests were parents who wanted to look out for the well-being of students. She said, “They,” motioning to students assembled behind Circle K at the corner of San Bernardino Avenue and Orange Street, “are the ones who coordinated this. Their voices are the ones that should be represented.”
She said that pink vests were selected because “it’s the one color the Proud Boys refuse to wear.”
According to Baker, there were no arrests.
Redlands Police Department is aware of one reported incident involving a student who showed up in a pickup truck flying a Trump flag who was assaulted by students throwing water bottles at him.
A local business owner pulled the student into the business, Baker said. No injuries were reported, and Redlands Police Department is reviewing video to determine whether any of the other students can be identified.
