Thursday, Feb. 5, tens and tens of students walked out of the EHS Main Campus buildings and continued walking–signs held high. People guess that around 100 students participated in a protest against ICE, chanting “Ice belongs in our drinks, not our streets,” and displaying signs demanding to “Abolish ICE.” The student protesters were adamant that ICE leave the streets of Elkhart and expressed no plan to back down.
The idea behind this protest was a week in the making, with Junior Jillian Morales-Roblero and these five friends organizing the event: Seniors Louis Leonard, Aubrie Streeter, and Gabriela Lemus, as well as Juniors Jada Sanders and Ivan Juarez. These students sat together, which led to their plan that went into action earlier this week. They heard that ICE was coming to their town, and they wouldn’t stand for it. Leonard said it himself: “I felt a strong need to stand up for immigrants, the environment, and social justice.”
Although originally reported that Leonard came up with and organized the event, it was, in fact, Morales-Roblero. “I started this protest to speak out for those who don’t have a voice or who are too afraid to use theirs. I chose a power to the students movement because these are our families, friends, and our communities.”
Morales-Roblero wanted it to be a “real protest”: students participating and doing everything they can to help–even ensuring that students didn’t simply try to use it as an excuse to skip class by scheduling it at 3:06 p.m. “Children are left without parents, and their parents are being deported without a fair chance to defend themselves, some without due process. This is not safety. This is not justice. And, this is not who we should be as a society. We should not be living in fear.”
Word of the student-led protest circulated rapidly. It was like a wildfire, walking from one class–“Are you going to the walkout? We’re protesting ICE”–to the next: “I plan to go to the walkout on Thursday; do you?” Many students who attended had no plan to participate previously, fearing they would get in trouble, but chose to do so when they saw others doing it, feeling the need to join their peers and speak their beliefs. Phoebe Garner, a Sophomore, explains why she thinks this is happening, “I feel like this is bringing people together for a good cause.”
Leonard led the protest, running back and forth with a megaphone, making sure everyone knew where they were going next, and safely keeping people in line. He gathered students to the front door so that anyone who was cold could go inside and warm him or herself back up, and he also let individuals borrow the megaphone to speak out.
Citizens in their cars, waiting outside the building to pick up students after school, had their phones out and recording the group as well as the message they preached. After the protest was finished, Leonard said, “I’m thankful for everyone that came out and supported us in this situation and that everything went well. I’m glad our community came together, and we did it with nobody getting hurt.”
“Immigrants make America better,” states Junior Mariana Contreras, who couldn’t resist shouting, “Flipping ICE! Abolish ICE!” Clearly, not everyone was the most tranquil in their comments about ICE, but they did not get violent. “I feel like it’s a very beautiful thing right now. I’m sick of standing alone, and I’m sick of everyone not standing up for themselves,” Sophomore Echo Vance passionately exerts. “It’s not about good or bad; it’s about if you’re a decent human or not!” Speaking the mind of so many people, Vance was exceedingly excited to be quoted, hoping her words could reach and inspire more people.
But in the end, not everyone was happy about this protest. When the students had their signs up, many moved near the edge of the road shouting against ICE, making sure everyone heard them. Dozens of people honked in approval as they drove by, but others either ignored the group or reacted in opposition. One particular driver decided the best course of action against the protesters was to exercise his own freedom of speech, flipping them all off as he drove by. Students in the crowd later were complaining about the aggression from him.
Executive Principal Phil Shults, on the other hand, was much quieter than students about his thoughts on the protest. “It is my job as an educator, to be totally neutral.” Shults, among other staff members, stood just outside the crowd, watching, simply making sure that his students were safe. Conversely to Shults’ neutrality, Sophomore Jessie Crosbie spoke her truth loudly: “We’re here because we’re scared. Innocent people are being murdered!–and no one is doing anything! We. Are. Frightened.”
Sophomore Rodrigo Oropeza also had much to say on the topic: “I would like to say that the demonstration held today proves that injustice will not be tolerated. People from all walks of life, all different backgrounds, chose to come together to stick up for their fellow Americans. I feel like it really means that Elkhart is a strong community, and if we can come together like this on such a strong scale, we can do something. I’ve heard people say, ‘I won’t go because I’m not Hispanic’ or ‘I won’t go because it doesn’t affect me.’ It affects everyone. I love everybody. I love Indiana. I love America. I love Elkhart. Go Lions!” Ericka Rodriguez keeps it simple, stating, “I’m glad that there are people who are fighting against ICE.”
Beyond the Elkhart Campus, these student protests are also active. The Instagram account abolishice.in is an account created by multiple students supporting the walkout and everything Anti-ICE. They displayed the posters detailing the time of the walkout on Feb. 5 so that anyone who knew could join. The owner of the account prefers to stay anonymous, saying nothing more than this: “I’m just a random high schooler that’s been into politics for a while. I want to make a change. Politics have changed how I view the world, and I wish more people would educate themselves and stay up with current events.”
Others are jumping on the student-protest bandwagon. Students at the Freshman Division have been planning their own protest, as are those at nearby Jimtown High School. Instagram account jhsi.ceout2026–one of the five organizers of the Jimtown Protest–says, “For our protest, we hope to have a great outcome. We plan to meet at the football field from 1:30-2:30.Those who want to go back to class may. If you are staying to protest, we have to remain on the football field until after school. We also are trying to get a news channel out to broadcast….It’s amazing to see others speak up and use their voice for people who may not be able to at the time. So originally, it started as a hypothetical question, which was ‘Hypothetically, who would do a walkout against ICE?’ We got many responses in regards of people wanting to do it. So, that’s when we started to plan.” Soon after, this news traveled to the Jimtown principal, who peacefully discussed a time with the students so that they could safely protest at the school, deciding on Feb. 10.
Actions were similar in Elkhart. “I participated in the ICE protest because I felt a strong need to stand up for immigrants, the environment, and social justice. We care about our future; we want our voices to be heard. We believe in equality for all. I’m incredibly grateful for everyone who came out to support the protest. Seeing so many people united in the same cause was truly inspiring. Knowing that so many people shared our concerns and were willing to take a stand made all the difference,” Leonard exclaims.
Elkhart students, just as with Jimtown’s, are planning a second event on Feb. 10 at 2:30 p.m. The administration is aware and closes with this official statement: “Staff will remain focused on supervision, student safety, and maintaining a calm learning environment.”
Note: This article was revised at 7:55 p.m, Feb. 6, to more accurately report the organizers of the student-led protest.
