On Feb. 7 during lunch, students were seen gathering by the auditorium and exiting through the front gate, causing chaos and confusion on campus.
This student walk-out is a form of protest that not only Millikan students have participated in. Students from Poly, Jordan, Cabrillo, and Lakewood have been taking part in similar activities, all in protest of the new ICE (U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement) policies that came into place shortly before President Donald Trump’s inauguration.
“We became aware of social media saying that there was going to be walk-outs across the district,” says Alex Moreland, an assistant principal here on campus who was in the middle of the action that afternoon. When asked about if the walk-out had anything to do with the recent surge in ICE raids, she said, “I don’t know if that’s why everyone walked out, but yes, that’s what it’s allegedly for, to fight against the immigration policies.”
Moreland firmly stated that ICE is not allowed on any campus in the district and that school security is always on campus to protect students in the event that something were to happen.
Mr. Brown, another assistant principal, also had something to say regarding the event, “I 100% support the first amendment right for an organized peaceful protest.” He also commented on the role that social media played in the protest, saying how it heavily influenced the actions that took place (with students seeing similar protests occurring in schools across Long Beach and executing something similar here on campus).
Several students also had thoughts on the protest that occurred. QUEST sophomores Brianna L. and Isabel W. were very aware of the motivation behind the movement saying, “It’s a protest for immigrated families to make a change in our society.”
Inversely, SEGA sophomore David Ballejo stated, “I feel like [the walk-out] has something to do with the immigration [policies], but I’m not entirely sure.” This statement from Ballejo highlights the confusion surrounding the protest, but an underlying understanding of the root cause due to just how much noise these policies have made throughout the Millikan community.
A video posted by the Long Beach Post on Instagram shows a large group of Poly students marching to Downtown Long Beach in protest of Trump’s immigration policies. They also published an article with further information on the march, featuring several student interviews and photos all in support of immigrant rights.
On Feb. 12 at around 12:45 p.m., there were rumblings of another student walk-out happening, although not nearly as many students participated. The majority of students weren’t even aware that this additional walk was happening, therefore it didn’t cause much of a splash. However, this does show that the conversation is still very active, and another school-wide walk-out isn’t unlikely.
This is not the first, and will definitely not be the last protest of this nature to occur in Long Beach and across the country. Students, especially those whose families have been heavily affected by the new immigration policies, have constantly been vocal on and off of campus and will continue to fight for their friends, families, and communities in the wake of these uncertain times.
