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Updated to include College Place Middle School participation.
Hundreds of students from Edmonds-Woodway High School and College Place Middle School left their classrooms and lined the streets around the high school Wednesday morning to protest recent national Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) actions across the U.S.
Gathering at the intersection of 76th Avenue West and 212th Street Southwest, the students waved signs with a range of messages opposing ICE and supporting the rights of immigrants.
Edmonds School District spokesperson Curtis Campbell said that in anticipation of possible student-led ICE protests, the District had notified parents last week of their students’ rights. “Students who walk out or miss classes will receive unexcused absences, as they would if they skipped or left for any other reason,” Campbell said.
“The Edmonds School District respects students’ First Amendment rights to peaceful assembly and free expression under ESD Policy 3223 (Freedom of Assembly),” the District notification to parents said. “At the same time, leaving class without prior approval will be treated as an unexcused absence, and once students leave campus, the school cannot always supervise their actions.”
College Place Middle School students as well!
Wow! These photos are great. Good on the students for speaking up.
This act brought me to tears as I drove by. Proud of our youth for speaking up and sad that this was ever needed in the first place.
I was here!
The Middle School nearby also participated in I believe I was told about 150-200 students
We confirmed with the school district that College Place Middle students also participated and added that — Teresa
Forgot to mention the school. Brier Terrace was also present.
Very cool, thank you all for standing up!!! I was around during the 70s – Kent State, Viet Nam, Civil rights for blacks – and this feels similar, but even more dangerous. We need to stand together, old (me), young (you), right, left, gay, straight, white, black & brown. The threat to our freedom is real, and sadly its internal. I think your involvement is vital if America is to survive. So thanks again!!!
Upload More Photos!!!!
As a retired Middle School teacher I would prefer it if if the students would demonstrate outside of school time. The students who remain in the school are usually deprived of their education.
Barbara Chase
Barbara. Learning about and exercising our fundamental Constitutional right is much more powerful of a lesson than sitting in the classroom staying silent.
Thats how your generation got us here in the first place. I was born in ‘82 if you’re next thought is you’re talking to “some kid”
*your (thanks autocorrect)
Heeeey let’s not attack each other in this space. That’s how comment threads get shut down.
Nothing like a little generation shaming to bring people together, warms the heart, doesn’t it?
Those kids learned so much more in a couple hours standing up for their freedoms and the freedom of others outside of class than diagraming sentences or doing algebra.
Good for them for using their voices for good!!!
These teachers are setting kids up for failure later in life not teaching about civics. These kids actually believe what is being reported by dishonest media and politicians instead of reality. Then they are surprised when they attack law enforcement and have real consequences. Every teacher and administrator that condones this aught to be looking for a new line of work
On the contrary, good teachers consider such events Teachable Moments~ opportunities to apply the lessons of history and civics to the world around us. That’s more challenging in today’s environment with so many sources of information, some reliable, many not.
I’m confident nobody is teaching students to “attack law enforcement,” rather they are emphasizing lessons about freedom of speech and “the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” (Source: First Amendment to the US Constitution)
I trust students are learning that it’s wrong for law enforcement to kill people like they did Renee Good and Alex Pretti, and that the Rule of Law applies to everyone in this country, citizens and non-citizens.
Roger, good points. No one was attacking law enforcement, nor were teachers “preaching” about it. What better way to learn about democracy in action! In fact, this type of action is written about in our state’s Standards for Social Studies, adopted in 2019. I’ve included it for the record.
SSS3.9-12.2 Apply a range of deliberative and democratic
strategies and procedures to make decisions and take
action in their classrooms, school, or out-of-school civic
context.
Sitting quietly in a classroom doesn’t magically make you civically informed. Peaceful protest is civics. It’s how students learn that government power can be questioned — not just memorized.
I agree with you, Kris. Shouldn’t be anything wrong with live civics! I am fond of this quote from Prof. Walter Parker, professor emeritus of Social Studies Education at the University of Washington. “Across our lifespan, humans spend more than 80% of their 16 waking hours in “informal” learning environments outside “formal” classroom walls.” From University of Washington College of Ed. publication Research That Matters, Volume 10).
One of his research questions was “How can knowledge and engagement be related, and does participation in political simulations accomplish both?”
THESE justifiable actions ARE the civics lesson!!!
Wake up America !!!
I’m so proud of the kids taking action. This is their future! They need to speak up, and today they showed us what Democracy looks like. It was a very educational experience for them.
I am a retired person. Any one who thinks people of “my generation” don’t know about protesting has seriously failed their history education!!! We came of age in the 60s and 70s. Does the Vietnam War ring any bells?
My memory of kids protesting were that the kids treated their protest as a fun way to get out of class. I think if you are serious about the protest you should be willing to spend time outside of class time.
Of course there are serious protests and that is a good thing.
Perhaps teachers could help by having lesson plans ready for students with the history of what is being protested. Just marking the kids as having an unexcused absence does not teach much history.
Barbara, that is a great idea. I am so proud of these kids for becoming involved at this early age, and I find it encouraging for the future of our country. There could be value added by creating related assignments that include studying how this time fits into history, developing research skills, and experiencing the success of working together. And at a time when many of us feel alone and helpless, these kids are bonding with each other to accomplish something important for their own future and beyond.
What important thing are they accomplishing?
Hmmm! Penalize students standing up for our
Constitution? Is this a part of the School Board’s
Contemporary syllabi? Or is this an opportunity for lessons in national and community social study in action using the Bill of Rights and the Constitution as absolutes? Clearly, politically elected US President, MAGA, and the GOP appear to have relativized the Constitution elevating their personal interpretation to weaponise their authority over us all. Too many
Dimbulbs in control. Clean house!
That’s too bad, the indoctrination of these kids to think that allowing illegals to enter our country without being vetted so they can harm others or become a drain on our economy is never a good thing. I know so many who have come here legally and now they are disgraced by this. So very shameful.
But the vast majority of “illegals” in this country are not criminals at all, rather they are people seeking a better life, or they are fleeing violence or oppression in their home countries. The US Customs and Border Protection website lists 11,213 criminal convictions by undocumented immigrants in 2025, a tiny number compared to the millions of people in that category.
But but but!
If we are a Republic, which we appear yet to be, and if we all agree to live by the rule
Or letter of the law, then, why are there illegals at all? Either we enforce our laws unilaterally or kiss good by to the rule of law. If as some autocrats and dictators look to law as a relative application, then equality under law is eradicated. Going the way our elected officials are leaning, to save their hides, they make the law serve
Their agenda, and no longer equally applied. Truth is not relative or Donald Trump is a monkey’s uncle.
Illegal entry into the United States is a federal offense under 18 U.S.C. 1325, which applies to noncitizens who enter or attempt to enter the country without authorization.
Violations of 18 U.S.C. 1325 can have lasting immigration consequences. Individuals caught entering unlawfully are typically placed in removal proceedings under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) initiates these proceedings by issuing a Notice to Appear, charging the individual with inadmissibility. Because unlawful entry is a ground of inadmissibility, those caught generally have no legal basis to remain unless they qualify for specific relief.
Repeated illegal entries further complicate a noncitizen’s ability to obtain legal status. Under INA 212(a)(9)(C), individuals who have been unlawfully present for more than one year or were previously removed and reentered without authorization face a lifetime bar from reentry. Unlike other inadmissibility grounds, which may allow for waivers, this provision is exceptionally strict, requiring an individual to remain outside the U.S. for at least ten years before applying for special permission to return.
Brian – it would be helpful for you to read the details. There is nothing in there about supporting illegality. In fact it reaffirms the existing rights people have.
Chris, I have carefully reviewed the details and concur that it is not a matter of the council endorsing any illegal activities. My intention was merely to offer some context, given the considerable misinformation surrounding what is legal and what is not. Regarding the legal framework, it pertains to the statutory basis of federal law.
According the notes in Cornel’s law school website https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/8/1325
the first offense of entering the country without documentation is a misdemeanor punishable by jail no longer than 6 months or a fine of no more than $500, or both. A second offense is a felony. As you point out, immigration law does provide for “qualifications for relief” and “waivers”. There is room in immigration law for “deliberation, decency, humanity” as pointed out by Mr Brown. It seems ICE is not interested in following the law, or even the practices of professional police enforcement.
Even if the fine is only $500, the policy mandates the issuance of a deportation warrant. Nevertheless, in practice, factors such as deliberation, decency, and humanity suggest that we should not allow 15 to 20 million people to jump ahead of those who have legally sought immigration. The open border policy of the previous administration, characterized by its anything-goes approach, is not favorable.
“now they are disgraced by this”
They may be embarrassed, but they can only be disgraced if they actually are guilty of something. One can be embarrassed by the contortions of the Trump administration or the abuses perpetrated by ICE, but disgraced? I think not.
A chance to get out of class? Cool! What about the kids who disagree? How many kids went along due to peer pressure? Teachers can teach civics without succumbing to the herd mentality. Jumping on the latest bandwagon isn’t civic engagement, it’s groupthink. Research and debate would have served these students better. And when was the last time waving signs changed policy?
‘What about the kids who disagree?’ They can get out and counter protest to support their position. Seems pretty straightforward. Teaching about constitutional rights, including the first amendment and actions that can be taken to exercise that right, doesn’t automatically disenfranchise those that have an opposing view.
I drove by yesterday and added my honking horn as a sign of approval and participation. I was proud to see a civics lesson in action. I never protested as a young person but I do now as a senior.
This time in history is too important to sit by and be complicit. Thank you, students for learning and speaking out!!!
So proud of my granddaughter for being part of the Edmonds-Woodway walkout protesting ICE!
I’d like to interject something that seems to be ignored: there are, I believe, many of us who would like to see illegal immigration dealt with intelligently and constructively and with decent firmness. But we object strongly to the inhumane and often brutal treatment meted out by masked, armed, undertrained ICE agents, many of whom are not even properly uniformed.
We desperately need the government to step back and de-escalate the situation while at the same time formulating practical ways to deal with immigration that are in keeping with the good old American values of decency and human dignity, and NOT used as a blame game and a brutal wedge issue to divide us.
Decency, deliberation, humanity – these were once our values.
I am proud that my Grandchildren stood up for fairness and justice yesterday!!!
Nathaniel,
Thank you, as always, for your clarity and for your compassion.
As Mr Drechsler quotes me about “deliberation, decency, and humanity,” I believe I may jump in and point put that again he sidesteps addressing the flagrant disregard of those qualities by ICE, and appears simply to ignore the beatings, shootings and blocked investigations of those shootings, the arresting of children and dragging people out of cars, not to mention overt threats of retaliation, or deaths during retention and or unhealthy conditions in which deportees are confined for indefinite periods. None of these things reflect much deliberation, decency or humanity. To be silent about these fundamental ideals and these blatant abuses might be taken as consenting to ICE brutality.
Dealing with illegal immigration constructively and with firmness? There have been numerous attempts to deal with unauthorized migration in the last 25 years. The last legislation on immigration was in 1996 which increased penalties and enforcement. Despite the fact that many immigrants are undocumented, they are valuable contributors to our country. Specifically, undocumented migrants perform labor that many native born citizens refuse to perform due the nature of the labor. This is particularly true in agriculture and construction.
As a result of the failure to address the issue there are now millions of undocumented migrants in the US, many with children born in the US who are citizens. In both civil and criminal law, there is a concept called the statute of limitations where legal action must be commenced within a specified time period. If it is not timely brought, it is no longer valid. But in immigration law, an undocumented migrant who has been in the United States for 30 years, has grown children and young grandchildren who are citizens, can be deported.
Today’s young people can see the unfairness of this system when their friends who are citizens may have a parent deported because they did not enter the country in the manner prescribed by law. It is this unfairness that has people of all ages protesting.
I applaud the efforts of the students to protest the actions of ICE, but where have they been for the last year? I’ve been to a number of protests, some on weekends, and looked around to see mostly older folks like me. The extra-Constitutional, outrageous behavior of the Trump administration has been going on since Day 1, whether it’s appointing incompetent officials, slashing government services, firing then…oops…rehiring federal employees, defunding important research, attacking universities, weaponizing the Justice Department, withdrawing from climate agreements and commitments, or undermining alliances. There’s a long list. (I just read an op-ed in the New York Times about the fury Canadians feel toward their former good neighbors. They are boycotting American products). College and high school students could bring about real change if they participated more in protests against the administration in general. Oh, and vote next time and every time.
Thanks all — closing this thread now.