Over the past two days, students from several San Bernardino secondary schools took part in walkouts protesting the mass deportations promised by President Donald Trump.
On Thursday, Feb. 6, and Friday, Feb. 7, middle and high school students walked off campuses including San Bernardino High School, Arrowview Middle School, Arroyo Valley High School, Chavez Middle School and Pacific High School, said Maria Garcia, a spokesperson for the San Bernardino City Unified School District.
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Some walked out during the last period of the day, while others did so in the morning and returned to school an hour or so later, Garcia said in a Friday, Feb. 7, email.
About 20 students rallied Friday afternoon at the intersection of North Mt. Vernon Avenue and West Base Line Street in San Bernardino, carrying flags and signs.
The district is still tallying the number of students who left campus, Garcia said.
“District and school leaders are working with students to encourage constructive dialogue and other school-sanctioned activities so that students may express their thoughts and viewpoints,” she wrote. “As a school district, our priority is to ensure their safety and maintain an environment conducive to learning while upholding their constitutional rights.”
The district did not organize or sanction the walkouts and encouraged families to talk to their students about the importance of being on campus, she said.
Since his Jan. 20 inauguration, Trump has followed through on a campaign promise to dramatically boost the deportation of undocumented immigrants, with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement carrying out raids in major cities.
Protests over the administration’s illegal immigration crackdown have occurred throughout the week in Southern California.
Thousands of protesters took to the freeway in Los Angeles on Sunday, Feb. 2, blocking the 101 Freeway. Protestors have also gathered in Riverside, San Bernardino and the San Fernando Valley.
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