Students across the country take part in walkouts protesting ICE

(KOLD/Gray News) — Students across the country participated in school walkouts this week to protest federal immigration enforcement.

The nationwide demonstration was dubbed the “Free America Walkout.” The protests were held Tuesday, marking the one-year anniversary since President Donald Trump took office.

High school and college students nationwide left their classrooms to make a statement against the Trump administration’s immigration policies and recent ICE raids.

Students in dozens of cities participated in the walkout, including Atlanta, Los Angeles, Chicago, Seattle, Las Vegas and more.

Students who walked out of class in Tucson, Arizona, said they feel their local Hispanic community is at risk.

“These are my people, and I just don’t like them being deported, and I don’t like seeing families separated and innocent lives, people’s lives, being killed and murdered just for nothing,” said Sophia Magana, a Sunnyside High student.

Dennis Ayala, a Rincon High student who helped organize the walkout, brought his family’s immigration story to his activism.

“My family are both immigrants; they immigrated here from Mexico,” Ayala said. “They fought for me to be in this country; I will fight for them to continue living here as well.”

The “Free America Walkout” website describes the effort as “fighting for a future that belongs to us all.”

“We walk out because a Free America is the only America worth calling great,” the website reads.