Nearly 150 Camas High School (CHS) students walked out of class on Wednesday, March 4 at the start of fifth period to protest against the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) due to what some say are violent and unjust practices the agency has been using in recent months.

ICE’s recent fatal shootings of Renée Nicole Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis and the agency’s recent use of tear gas during a Portland, Ore. protest motivated senior Charlie Irwin to organize an anti-ICE walkout at CHS.

“I think it’s important that students know that they have a voice in anything just relating to their local government, or in a wider spread of that, because a lot of people feel that they can’t do anything, that it’s too big,” Irwin said.

Students first organized the walkout the week before mid-winter break. Irwin gathered his friends who stood against ICE to plan the walkout, make signs, and create flyers to hand out to potential student protesters over the next four weeks.

Superintendent John Anzalone sent out a districtwide email on Tuesday evening to address the planned walkout. Students who chose to attend the walkout would not be given an excused absence, according to the Camas School District’s attendance policy.

“Students have a First Amendment right to assemble and express their views,” Anzalone said. “Our school district supports students’ peaceful expression. Our priority remains maintaining a safe and respectful school environment for all students, whether or not they choose to participate.”

Many student protesters expressed enthusiasm about the amount of people who attended. Though some were concerned that some students only participated  to miss instructional time from their classes.

“It’s kind of like a bittersweet feeling, honestly, because a lot of people are here just to skip the class period,” sophomore AJ Araque said. “But it’s important even though they’re not here for the right reason, just showing that we have this big group of people all here for the same cause. It’s important just to have that number.”

Irwin delivered a speech at the south courtyard, describing how ICE had been affecting undocumented immigrants and U.S. citizens throughout the past year. He encouraged students to be knowledgeable about current events and to stand up for what they believe.

“ICE is a threat to us all,” Irwin said. “They think that through fear they can kidnap whoever they want, take lives behind closed doors, and terrorize communities all across the country … You just need to show that you won’t stay silent. What I ask of you, for the betterment of us all, is to fight for what is right.”

Students who stayed for the duration of the walkout went down to the roundabout at Lacamas Lake and were back on campus at the end of the school day.

Student protesters attending the walkout shared their opinions about ICE and how the agency has treated U.S. citizens across the country.

“The injustice that’s been happening all around the U.S. [has been] very hard for families of Latino descent in general,” junior Isaias Lopez said. “Because we’re afraid. Masked men have been patrolling the streets in unlocked cars, taking us away. They’re able to racially profile us. They’re not here for criminals. They just take anyone off the street.”

“I don’t like the way that ICE has been acting,” junior Jenna Jiang said. “Anyone in U.S. history right now knows that the United States was a place of immigration. I think it’s a little insane that ICE is killing people over it. Their whole goal is to remove the people who came to the United States illegally, but they’re doing it in such means that makes it violent and unnecessary, in my opinion. They could do it in much more peaceful ways.”

“I believe that no one is illegal on stolen land, and coming from me, it’s really sad to see my family and my culture torn apart because ICE agents don’t want us here,” freshman Itzel Lopez said.

The CHS anti-ICE walkout gave hope to many attending student protesters.

“I think that this shows that when a bunch of Americans come together, we can fight,” senior Andrew Feasel said.

“I love seeing this unity, and I love supporting what I believe is right,” junior Bailey McGlothin said.

“Do you see what happens when one person says, ‘I want to make a difference’?” a walkout organizer who asked to stay anonymous said. “Each and every one of you can make a difference. That is a protest. It’s a bunch of singular individuals getting together for a cause. Each and every one of you out here with your voice matters.”

ICE is a federal law enforcement agency that enforces the U.S. immigration laws, according to their official website. The agency’s procedures of arresting and deporting undocumented immigrants saw major changes in the past year, resulting in an increase of anti-ICE protests across the United States.