Approximately 100 Schaumburg High School students walked out of their final-period classes, Tuesday afternoon, and gathered at the village’s Fire Fighter Memorial to protest escalating immigration enforcement actions, particularly those unfolding in Minnesota.
In Minnesota, the federal government has deployed a large number of immigration enforcement agents into the Minneapolis–St. Paul area and other parts of the state as part of an expanded operation aimed at arresting undocumented immigrants.
Across Minnesota, local leaders have condemned federal actions as harmful to community trust, while protesters have called for an end to the enforcement surge.
The State of Minnesota has filed a federal lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, challenging the large-scale immigration enforcement operation as unconstitutional. The lawsuit alleges that the federal deployment exceeds legal authority and disrupts local public safety, while separate ACLU lawsuits claim ICE has engaged in unlawful arrests.
Organized largely through social media, the demonstration was led by senior Xan Carlis, who coordinated details via Snapchat and secured administrative approval, and senior Mya McCurdy, who helped rally student participation. Students gathered with signs and spoke about their concerns over what they described as violations of civil and human rights.
The group included seniors who risked losing eligibility for exemption from final exams at the end of the semester due to receiving a truancy on their records.
McCurdy said she collected more than 700 signatures on a petition but was not surprised that many students were unwilling to risk the penalties associated with receiving a truancy.
Students at Tuesday’s walkout said their goals were to raise awareness among peers and support broader movements for humane treatment of all people. School officials were present and emphasized the importance of peaceful student expression during the demonstration.
“I feel like the ongoing violence in Minneapolis was a large reason for the protest,” Carlis said, “but the overall violation of American and immigrants’ civil rights and human rights was the biggest reason why I thought we needed this protest.”
“The current events happening around the world are something we can’t ignore. Seeing the students unite and willingly walk out of their final-period classes to protest what they believe truly makes you realize that there is hope in humanity. Even when it seems like the world is falling apart, our voices rise,” added Michelle Pulido, a senior at Schaumburg High School.
Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211 administrators sent a message to families Tuesday outlining the district’s position on student demonstrations. In the letter, officials emphasized that while the district does not organize or support political causes, protests, or walkouts, it is required as a public institution to uphold students’ rights to peaceful expression. The district noted that its involvement in such situations is limited to maintaining student safety and providing supervision, and should not be viewed as an endorsement of any viewpoint or activity.