Students Stage Walkout in Quartz Hill to Protest ICE Enforcement Actions
- Richard Sykes
- 20 hours ago
- 2 min read
QUARTZ HILL, CA — A large group of students walked out of class Friday morning in Quartz Hill, gathering George Lane Park to protest recent federal immigration enforcement actions and to call for greater protections for undocumented families in the Antelope Valley.
The demonstration began shortly after 10 a.m., when students from Quartz Hill High School exited campus in a coordinated walkout that organizers say was planned overnight through group chats and social media. By mid‑morning, more than 200 students had joined the protest, forming a line along the sidewalk with signs reading “Students Against ICE,” “Families Belong Together,” and “We Stand With Our Community.”
A Protest Rooted in Fear and Solidarity
Students said the walkout was sparked by reports of recent ICE activity in nearby neighborhoods, which they fear could lead to detentions or deportations of classmates’ family members.
“We’re out here because people in our community are scared,” said a senior who helped organize the protest. “Some of our friends didn’t come to school today because they were afraid. We want the district and the community to know that we won’t stay silent.”
Several students described the action as both a show of solidarity and a demand for transparency from local officials about how immigration enforcement intersects with schools and youth. Quartz Hill senior Elora Kimuara stated, “I am proud of the students who came out to participate. No one is legal on stolen land.”
Peaceful Demonstration Draws Community Attention
The protest remained peaceful throughout the morning. School administrators and campus security monitored from a distance, while deputies from the Lancaster Sheriff’s Station briefly drove by but did not intervene.
Parents and community members gathered near the edge of the crowd, some bringing water and snacks for students. Passing drivers honked in support, and a few stopped to record the demonstration on their phones.
The Antelope Valley Union High School District released a short statement acknowledging the walkout, noting that “students have the right to peaceful expression” and that the district “remains committed to ensuring all students feel safe on campus.”
A Local Expression of a National Debate
The Quartz Hill protest reflects broader tensions around immigration enforcement across Southern California, where student‑led demonstrations have become more common in recent years. In the Antelope Valley — a region with a large immigrant population and a long history of friction between residents and federal agencies — the issue carries particular weight.
Teachers who observed the protest said the turnout underscored how deeply national policy debates are felt at the local level.
“These kids are paying attention,” one teacher said. “They’re thinking about their friends, their families, and what it means to feel safe in their own community.”
Students emphasized that today’s walkout was only the beginning.
“We showed up today because we care about each other,” said one junior. “We’re going to keep pushing until our community feels safe.”
This article is far from accurate. These “protestors” were screaming profanities at adult and child pedestrians as they attempted to walk from their homes to stores on 50th and L-10. A truck with a bed full of children waiving Mexican flags crashed into another car at this same intersection. Most of the cars honking were those of the parents of the protesters circling the neighborhood continuously. Teenagers aggressively verbally abusing other citizens and their children dangerous, disorderly, and unacceptable.
None of these protesting students has a clue about WHO PAYS THE BILL for illegals who are given freebies! All you wanted was to get out of class. ILLEGAL is ILLEGAL. You just don’t want to take responsibility for breaking the law. Yes, everybody came from somewhere else, but most did so legally. If the illegals are such GOOD people, so anxious to be Americans, why hide? Why not go to the authorities and go through the channels to become a proud American? Yes, it takes time, yes it takes a brave person to step forward and correct the situation. But isn’t that better than sneaking around? You snuck in here, you hide out in fear you’ll be caught a…