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Hundreds of students across the Sequoia Union High School District walked out of their classrooms Thursday in protest of the President Donald Trump administration’s immigration policies, calling attention to the impact of mass deportations on families and communities across the country.
Students from Sequoia High School, Menlo-Atherton High School, Woodside High School, Redwood High School, Sacred Heart Prep and Tide Academy marched through the streets carrying Mexican and El Salvadoran flags. Many held signs reading, “You can’t love our culture but hate our people” and “My parents fought for my future, now I will fight for theirs.”
Despite the rain, the Sequoia High students left campus at 10:55 a.m., making their way through James Street, El Camino Real, Jefferson Avenue and Broadway before heading downtown to join other protestors. As they walked the streets, a few passersby honked their horns and gave a thumbs-up in support.
“We want to let the country know that, as students, we are not gonna back down,” said Jocelyn, a Sequoia High School student who did not reveal her last name due to safety concerns. “We’re gonna fight for those who have been silenced for so long.”
She added that the school, including principal Sean Priest, was supportive of the protest.
M-A administrators shared guidelines with all students in preparation for the protest, letting them know of their rights to protest and freedom of speech.
The protest remained peaceful, and no police presence was reported.
Heidi Benitez Nolasco, a senior at Sacred Heart Prep in Atherton, helped organize a walkout at her school before linking up with students from Menlo-Atherton. She said she felt it was important for students from all backgrounds to show solidarity.
“Now, we’re walking towards downtown in protest of the massive deportations that there’s been throughout the new administration, throughout the time with this new administration,” Benitez Nolasco said.
She said Thursday’s demonstration was about unity, stressing that students must unite to support immigrant communities regardless of their school or background.
“I’m hoping that they see that, you know, regardless of like how the media may portray young people, that we’re here to stand up for our elders and for the people that protect us and for the people that have provided us with so much, and that despite, the kind of stereotype that there is about this new generation that we’re not going to bow down, and that we’re going to stand up for what we believe in, and we’re going to stand up for those that have stood up before us,” she said.
Two to three weeks ago, seven students at Woodside High School came together to form the activist group Banderas Unidas to fight injustices against immigrant families. According to Kathy Morales, a junior and member of the group, they organized the walkout at Woodside and connected with students from other schools through social media and word of mouth.
“I’m a first generation American and my parents are immigrants. This affects me on a personal level and it affects others in my community too,” said Maria, a junior at Woodside High School who used a pseudonym due to safety concerns. “I wasn’t going to just stand by and let all of this stuff happen. We’re fighting for immigrants.”
As students made their way downtown, they continued chanting and holding up signs, determined to keep pressure on policymakers and show that they won’t stay silent on immigration issues.
“Our generation has so much power to do so many things that most of our parents couldn’t do,” said Nora Acosta, a student organizer at M-A. “(My parents) who came to this country at a young age have struggled to obtain their citizenship and it is sad to see how several families are being torn apart due to ICE.”
A few protestors addressed the crowd, speaking passionately about the discrimination immigrants are facing and urging the crowd to stand strong for their community.
“Today is not a regular school day for us to wake up in the morning and go to school,” said Andy Villeda, a senior at Redwood High School, while addressing the crowd. “Today is a day of change. Today is the start of a movement going forward. Today is the sound of our shouting voices finally not being silent.”
Many of the protestors decided to stay in downtown Redwood City until the end of their school day. Some danced to Latin music, others whistled, but enthusiasm never wavered.
Former East Palo Alto Mayor Antonio Lopez called the student walkout “admirable and important,” emphasizing the role of young people in raising awareness.
“I’m grateful to the young people whose bravery and courage show that in this hour when many people are feeling hurt, scared and fearful for their safety and their families, they’re standing up and putting their lives on the line to speak out against what’s going on, not just locally, but nationally, Lopez said.
Decrease in attendance across schools
Since Trump took office, students at M-A have been noticing lower attendance rates, especially in Spanish-speaking classes, according to Nora Garcia, a junior at M-A.
Teachers in M-A classrooms have been supporting immigrant students by handing out “red cards,” which outline their rights and protections under the U.S. Constitution, she added. The cards can be used to help immigrants when confronted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
Morales also shared seeing a decline in student attendance at Woodside High since the “Day Without Immigrants” on Feb. 3.
Sara Chacon, a junior at Sequoia High, shared similar concerns. She told this publication that not only are fewer students attending school, but fewer people are going to work, and some stores are closing due to fears of deportation.
“I’m speaking for our people who are scared to speak up for themselves,” Chacon added.
Pulse Editor Michelle Iracheta contributed to this story. Embarcadero Media Staff contributed to this report.
Good job, young people!!
Can you report on any examples of a local person deported who doesn’t have a criminal record (not counting the “crime” of being here undocumented)? I am genuinely curious. I read that practically all of the people deported so far under Trump were already on the ICE detainer list for crimes committed.
So, our schools have a terrible reputation for having underperforming students (per standardized tests, abilities compared to what is expected at grade level) so these brilliant kids are skipping more classes. And, per the comment above, are these children protesting the deportation of violent illegal immigrants? They want these violent criminals in their neighborhoods? Maybe they need to go to a few more classes and learn a bit more about what is actually happening instead of skipping more classes, and, in the process, falling even farther behind.
Rock on, kids! School (or work) is important and community involvement is important. Balancing the two is a lifelong job.
I’m very concerned about this situation here in California. Under the Supremacy Cause, federal law takes jurisdiction over state law. In 1861, a civil war was fought over this principle. What will the courts due in these cases. Too much here at stake with our residents here.
The Supremacy Clause of the Constitution of the United States (Article VI, Clause 2), establishes that the Constitution, federal laws made pursuant to it, and treaties made under its authority, constitute the “supreme Law of the Land”, and thus take priority over any conflicting state laws.[1] It provides that state courts are bound by, and state constitutions subordinate to, the supreme law.[2] However, federal statutes and treaties are supreme only if they do not contravene the Constitution.[3]
In essence, it is a conflict-of-laws rule specifying that certain federal acts take priority over any state acts that conflict with federal law, but when federal law conflicts with the Constitution that law is null and void. In this respect, the Supremacy Clause follows the lead of Article XIII of the Articles of Confederation, which provided that “Every State shall abide by the determination of the United States in Congress Assembled, on all questions which by this confederation are submitted to them.[3] A constitutional provision announcing the supremacy of federal law, the Supremacy Clause assumes the underlying priority of federal authority, only when that authority is expressed in the Constitution itself.[4] No matter what the federal government or the states might wish to do, they have to stay within the boundaries of the Constitution. This makes the Supremacy Clause the cornerstone of the whole political structure.
We live in a great country, where we can protest and speak up for our rights and others.