Students at more than 100 Georgia schools walk out to protest against ICE

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — Classrooms across Georgia emptied Friday as students walked out in protest of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), part of a nationwide day of action sparked by deadly shootings in Minneapolis.

Organizers say more than 100 schools across the state participated, including Centennial High School in north Fulton County, where a large and diverse portion of the student body stepped out just after the morning bell.

At Centennial, students and parents say the protests were deeply personal.

Chants echoed through the campus parking lot as more than 100 students gathered under school supervision.

“What do we want? Change! When do we want it? Now!” students shouted.

Parents said that some of their Latino classmates are not coming to school not out of apathy, but out of fear. They worried that showing up could put them or their parents at risk, even if their families are in the country legally.

“We want ICE out of sight!” protesters chanted.

In response, classmates said they walked out to speak for those who felt they could not safely be there.

Parents say that fear is not abstract.

Carole Veschi, who has adopted two children from Guatemala, said immigration enforcement has become a daily source of anxiety for her family. Her children are U.S. citizens, but she said their appearance makes her worry about how they could be perceived.

“I’m scared,” Veschi said. “It isn’t when they leave the house. It’s when they’re not home. When they’re late, it’s like, ‘Uh-oh… where are they?’”

Veschi said she was relieved when Centennial administrators shifted their response to the walkout. Rather than threatening expulsions, school leaders allowed a supervised, limited protest in the parking lot, with staff monitoring the situation.

Districts across Georgia say they are balancing campus safety with students’ right to express themselves.

For Veschi, allowing students to be heard matters.

“The kids are saying, ‘Our fellow students are scared. Help us,” she said. “And I think that’s great that they’re thinking of other people besides themselves,” she said.

Additional protests and rallies are scheduled for later Friday and throughout the weekend, according to organizers.