Detroit—Hundreds of students walked out of their 7th hour classes at Cass Technical High School to rally and march, demanding ICE out of Detroit. They chanted “Immigrants are welcome here” and “No justice, no peace.” Signs read, “There comes a time when silence is betrayal,” “U know it’s bad when white people are dying in the street,” and “It shouldn’t have to happen to you to matter for you.”
Students at the ICE out protest in Detroit. Photo: Hannah Dellinger / Chalkbeat
“They took our alumni, they took our peers at Western [International High School in Detroit],” said Hailee Hallman, a senior at Cass who helped organize the protest. “After seeing all this happen in so many places and watching it happen to people we know, it’s important for us to try to make sure they know that we’re not satisfied with this.”
So far, five Detroit Public School Community District (DPSCD) students have been detained; one from Western was deported to Colombia last year.
Despite pressure to adopt stronger sanctuary policies, the district has so far made no changes. However, Chrystal Wilson, spokesperson for the district, wrote in an email: “We believe in encouraging our students to exercise their First Amendment rights and strive to provide a safe environment for them to do so.”
–Cass Tech Grandmother
No surprise here: several states have “investigations” and legislation against teachers, staff and students protesting ICE, claiming teachers’ job is to “educate students.” The President of the Texas American Federation of Teachers said “Teachers would rather be in their classroom, not outside in the street. But they have an attachment to their students, and they are concerned about them.” He neglected to remind us that participation in a student walkout is an educational moment that students will remember for the rest of their lives.
For more on backlash to student protests: https://www.chalkbeat.org/2026/02/18/schools-teachers-in-texas-investigated-for-student-ice-protests/