Utah students walk out, protesting against immigration crackdown

SOUTH JORDAN — As protests against the Trump administration's immigration crackdown erupted around the country, Samara Perry, a senior at Bingham High School, watched but kept quiet.

Finally, she felt compelled to speak out, and on Tuesday morning, she joined around 100 other students from the South Jordan school in walking out between classes and protesting.

"We are so sick and tired of not letting our voices be heard," Perry said. "I thought especially in a red state like Utah, having a group of teenagers who know that this is wrong would make a lot more of a difference, especially since most of our state supports (President Donald) Trump."

Demonstrations by critics of the ongoing immigration crackdown have become a regular thing in Utah, as in the rest of the country. But now the urge to publicly speak out is trickling down to high school students for the first time, at least in Utah. Around 200 or more students from Ogden High School in Ogden walked out of class last week to protest Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions around the country.

Following the death of Renee Good in Minneapolis at the hands of an immigration agent, Nova Jordan, who helped organize the Jan. 19 Ogden High School protest, decided "it was time to make it known to everyone that our school is safe and that we want to foster a community of love and compassion," she said. "We did receive some backlash and a few threats from kids at school, along with various mean comments on social media, but I think our message is stronger than all of the hate."

Next came Tuesday morning's protest at Bingham High School. Later in the day, around 200-300 Kearns High School students walked out of school early and protested while students at West Jordan High School also demonstrated.

Elliot Ting, a Bingham High School sophomore, was among the students carrying signs and protesting along South Jordan Parkway, the busy street in front of her school. "I just wanted to actually participate and feel like I wasn't the only one feeling this way," she said.

The students' message parallels those at other protests against the immigration crackdown that have erupted across the country. The Trump administration says the immigrants that agents are targeting pose a public safety risk to the country and deplete the nation's resources. The foes, though, decry what they view as the unnecessary force and violence employed by the agents.

"Just the way ICE handles deportations is awful," Ting said.

ICE has been around for years, Perry said, but the agency hasn't acted like it is now. "We haven't had them ripping people out of their homes and separating families," she said.

Jason Cruz, a Bingham High School junior, referenced the killing of two demonstrators by immigration agents this month in Minneapolis, Renee Good and Alex Pretti.

"Way too violent," Cruz said, contrasting Trump's approach with that of President Barack Obama. "I agree with Obama. ... He deported criminals, people that hurt our country. Trump is literally deporting people just based off skin color, based off accent."

Alia Ngatuvai, of Tongan descent, emphasized the role immigrants play in bolstering the U.S. economy.

"I come from a family of immigrants, so watching people leave or being forcibly removed is hard to watch," she said. Immigrants "are our workers and they're the base of everything we do and we can't grow without them."

'They are taking our families'

Around 300 students from Kearns High School walked out around 1 p.m., skipping their last class to demonstrate. They walked down 5415 South to the parking lot of a nearby shopping center.

Isabela Jimenez, a junior, noted the heavy Latino population at Kearns High School, more than half the school's population, according to Utah Board of Education data. Her roots, she said, are Salvadoran and Ecuadorian.

"I don't agree with the current administration that is governing this country, because to my people it is wrong," she said. "A lot of people this is happening to, it's undeserved. They did nothing wrong. They're just trying to have a better life, and that's what my mom came her to do, to have a better life, and my dad."

Aydream Martinez, also a Kearns High School junior, echoed that, noting the adverse impact the immigration crackdown is having on people's lives.

"We are here, and we're here living our lives, and they're taking that from us. They are taking our families. They are taking people who were born here. We are citizens here. Nobody is illegal on stolen land, is one of our phrases," she said.

Giada Bruso, a junior at West Jordan High School, said around 150 students took part in a walkout and protest against ICE at that school.

Kearns High School is within Granite School District, and Luke Allen, spokesman for the system, said the students have a right to voice their opinion. Participation in walkouts, he said, will be treated like any other absence, requiring parental permission to be excused.

"The Supreme Court has repeatedly ruled that schools must respect our students' First Amendment rights and their desire to express their views on issues that matter to them. Our top priority in these situations is maintaining a safe and supportive learning environment for all students and staff," Allen said. "If students choose to participate in a protest or walkout, schools focus on safety, minimizing disruption to instruction and ensuring students have a space to express their concerns in a responsible and non-disruptive way."

Bingham High School is part of Jordan School District. A rep from the district said the system didn't have any role in the demonstration. "It was student organized," said district spokeswoman Sandra Riesgraf.

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