Upwards of 150 BHS students walked out of class at 1:09 p.m. yesterday in protest of ICE activities in Minnesota. The peaceful walkout was planned by the student-run organization Courageous Conversations. Some students carried handmade signs, while others found out about the event only hours before.
The students who participated circled the school in below-zero temperatures. The protest lasted approximately 20 minutes before most of the students returned to the building and joined their fourth-hour classes.
Staff and administration did not participate in the walk-out, and messaging was sent by BHS administration before and after the event, making families aware of it and outlining potential consequences for students participating in the demonstration, including receiving an unexcused tardy for the time they missed.
After talking with nearly thirty students about their reasons for walking out, The Hoofprint has compiled a collection of quotes from participants of the protest outlining their reasoning for participating in the protest.
Evelyn Winger ‘27
“Everyone should be treated the same way, regardless of race. Everyone deserves the same rights, and families belong together,”
Adellita Nelson ‘27
“My family was personally targeted by ICE. My uncle was attacked by six ICE officers, and he’s a U.S. citizen. They racially profiled him because he looks Mexican.”
Giovanni Sanchez-Romero ‘29
“What they’re doing is wrong, and I’m trying to stand up for my people.”
Katherine Donlan ‘27
“I know people that are affected by it, and it’s really harmful, and I want [ICE] to be gone.”
Jeanette Bermudez ‘26
“It affects my family, it affects my friends. It has affected so many things in my life, and I think [protesting is] one of the most important things that I have to do. I think we all need to stand up, even if we are just kids. This is all we can do”
Bailey Schindele ‘26
“ICE needs to leave.”
Reiker Wignes ‘27
“People deserve to be here, it’s a nation made by immigrants, so why are we putting people out?”
Kylinn Bruce ‘26
“The way they’re going about it needs to change. I love all my neighbors.”
Elmara Duopu ‘27
“I come from a family of immigrants, and I don’t think families should be separated.”
Will Schmidt ‘27
“I’m here to condemn the shooting that has happened to Minnesotans, and I’m here to say that every person in the US is entitled to due process and anything else is unconstitutional. Even in a very conservative school, we can move past that and stand together and show that we are aware of what is happening in our communities.”
Toni Oyewole ‘26
“They’ve killed too many people. Families are being ripped apart because of things that don’t really matter. Every voice matters whether you think you’re just one in a multiple billion, every single voice matters. Protests are how we get change. We need to use our voices for good.”
Braelyn Raedel ‘26
“I am standing up for basic human rights.”
Braxton Teschendorf ‘27
“What ICE is doing is wrong, it’s unconstitutional, and it’s really frustrating. This is the only thing we can do; we can only speak out about it because we have no power to vote.”
Julia Braegelmann ‘26
“It’s important to use our voices, so they know that we have a voice, and it matters too.”
Audrianna Beckstead ‘28
“Harm shouldn’t happen between families. Hearing the youth is important because we’re the new generation coming in.”
Callie Hiliyar ‘26
“I believe families should not be separated, I believe that they [ICE] are killing innocent people. It’s not about politics anymore. It’s about human f—— decency.”
Audree Kotval ‘28
“They’re [ICE] taking people and killing people that don’t deserve it. We [the youth] are not really seen as impactful people, so we need to show that we are.”
Mason Dongoski ‘26
“They’re taking my boys. They’re taking people that don’t do anything wrong, and if not me, then who? Who is going to stand up for those who don’t have a voice? Despite whether we do or do not know it, there may be people that are listening to us that can take inspiration from us, and we can change their minds in a non-aggressive manner”
Jenner Gorton ‘27
“I think everybody should have rights, and I don’t think anybody is illegal on stolen land. Our voices matter.”
