Truman Students Hold Morning Walkout Over ICE Actions

Several dozen students at Harry S. Truman High School walked out of their classrooms Friday morning to protest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) tactics and increased enforcement actions.

The demonstration began shortly after 8 a.m. and lasted approximately 50 minutes outside the school on Green Lane in Bristol Township.

As administrators and school police monitored the scene, passing motorists and school bus drivers honked their horns in a show of support for the gathered students, who cheered and chanted.

Organizers said the goal of the walkout was to provide a platform for a generation they feel is often overlooked.

“We need to speak up and make action,” said Liana, 17, who coordinated the event. “We shouldn’t be hiding behind screens. We should be out there having a voice and having it be heard.”

Students expressed worry over the impact of federal immigration policies on families in the community.

Errin Bryant, 18, who has family members of Hispanic background, called the current climate “cruel.”

“I would be heartbroken if something happened to them,” Bryant said. “There are so many families that are being torn apart … many of them came through the right way and they’re still getting taken away. This isn’t what America stands for.”

@levittownnow Harry S. Truman High School students walked out of class in Bristol Township Friday morning to voice their concerns over ICE tactics and the impact of immigration enforcement on their community. "We shouldn't be hiding behind screens," one organizer said of the demonstration. #bristoltwp #levittownpa #levittownnow #ICE #buckscounty ♬ original sound – LevittownNow.com

Camila, 17, said she has witnessed the effects of ICE enforcement firsthand since the start of President Donald Trump’s administration.

“I have seen friends have to live without their parents because of ICE,” Camila said.

She added, “Many people say because I am young that I don’t know what I’m saying, but I have seen it firsthand. We are discriminated against because of our skin color, our accents, whether we are fluent in English. They don’t care if we are here legally, because people still call us aliens. We are not aliens, we are human. Just because I am young doesn’t mean I am dumb and it doesn’t mean I am ignorant.”

Students at the rally said their protest was not directed at law enforcement as a whole.

One student noted they understand the reason ICE exists but disagree with how the federal government’s is carrying out detainments, deportations, and immigration checks, citing reports of violence, mistreatment, and the detention of U.S. citizens.

Jayden, 17, compared the student-led initiative to the civil rights movement, adding that the participants are the nation’s future voters.

“We are pushing toward the future,” Jayden said. “We are living in the now and not the past, like a lot of older people.”

“We’re the ones who are going to be voting next. If we start now, it’s going to just keep getting better and better,” Jayden said. “Showing that young people care and the young people who will vote next have a say in this means more.”

The demonstration was not without opposition from peers.

One student, a supporter of the Trump administration’s immigration policies declined an interview, pointed to a social media post from the school’s teenage Republican group.

The post, which he texted to this news organization, stated that while the school’s young Republicans respect the right to protest, ICE “enforces laws passed by Congress.”

The school’s youth Republican club called on peers to look closer at immigration policy before walking out.

The students taking part in the walkout said they respected the differing viewpoints of their peers who did not join the walkout.

After the student-led demonstration, Truman Principal Jon Craig issued a letter to parents confirming that students returned to class by 9 a.m. He noted that the walkout took place without incident.

Truman’s walkout did not face the types of public threats seen at other nearby districts, including Pennsbury and Neshaminy high schools.

Students taking part said they expected to face two-hour detentions.

Craig stated in his note to parents that leaving class was an decision by students and will be addressed under School Board policy.

“Students are responsible for any missed instructional time, assignments, or assessments, as they would be for any unexcused absence,” Craig said.

The high school administration required students to remain on school property. If anyone left the grounds, they were barred from returning to classes for the remainder of the day.

Truman’s walkout came after similar walkouts since last month at high schools across the nation.