For their protection, students will not be identified by name in this article.
Across America in the early months of 2026, federal U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents (ICE) have been rounding up thousands of people they suspect to be undocumented immigrants and forcefully deporting them. According to The Guardian, 32 people died in 2025 while in ICE custody, making it the “deadliest year in more than two decades.” Eight people have died so far, in 2026.
The recent suppression of protests in Minneapolis has resulted in multiple shootings, widespread protests and intense local resistance.
At 12:40 p.m on February 4th, Skyline student protest organizers led several hundred Skyline students in a school-wide walkout to protest ICE’s actions.
During the ICE OUT protest, the group exited the school together and marched around the school, chanting “Melt ‘Em Up!” and “Ice Out Now!”
“We’ve seen [how] ICE has waged war against Minneapolis and detained families in Washtenaw County,” says a lead organizer.
Many Skyline students have been following the news and have been outraged by this issue. “Being high school students, we start to learn the history of our country and develop a political understanding,” says a co-organizer. “We are close to the voting age and basically represent the future of our country.”
Many students created posters with slogans such as “Immigrants are not Illegal on Stolen Land” and “Hot People Hate ICE” to show their support. Several organizers gave speeches.
Many Skyline students feel strongly about this cause and that change is needed. “It’s unity that really brings change,” says one leader. “It’s good that we are able to step out and make it known that what ICE is doing is not what we stand for.”
Prior to the protest, many students reported they were upset with a Schoology message from Skyline Principal Casey Elmore. The message included rules like “No chanting, language, or signage that targets individuals or groups,” which many students read as restricting all signs. It also called for “[No] use of cell phones.”
Many student protesters felt that the message infringed on their First Amendment self-expression rights.
In an interview with The Skyline Post, Elmore clarified that these rules were district guidelines and restrictions on student protests. “If I were to do it again… I would not have shared the district guidelines in Schoology. In the past, we have not had any issues with peaceful protests by students and I had been working with the organizers. My intention was to provide clarity with the district guidelines, and it ended up causing more concerns. I support students exercising their First Amendment rights.”
