Students speak out and walkout

By: Jordyn Sanchez

Chief editor

On March 3, at 1:00 p.m., Crete-Monee High School students gathered in the circle to begin a walkout. The protest started at the school, continued with a march to Heritage Park, and concluded as students displayed their posters and flags to represent Latinos and Hispanics to the community.

On March 3rd, around 1:00pm Crete Monee Students walked out to show support for the Hispanic/Latino Community. Photographer - Tyler Blackburn

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has been in the news recently. In Minneapolis, 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, Adrian Conejo Arias, have been subjected to discriminatory treatment due to being Hispanics and reportedly were referred to as “illegal aliens” by ICE, and have drawn scrutiny. According to the ACLU, ICE has also been reported to have illegally deported people without proper due process.

“There were some people with their banners and flags, and everybody would decide to walk around together, precipitating towards Heritage Park as some of us decided to go on cars, and we were in the back of pickup trucks with their signs and flags as well, basically just making a whole positive atmosphere all around and trying actually to be seen, make that impact we were trying to make,” Ricardo Guzman stated.

Approximately 90 to 100 people attended the ice walkout; however, most attendees were underclassmen rather than upperclassmen, with reasons not stated.

“Um, I just feel like deporting immigrants is the main problem. And this is a very serious topic for me, because my parents are immigrants, and I think it should just be heard and seen more,” Mia Porras said.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement, on average, screens over 500 immigrants per month in Los Angeles County jails, and approximately 90% are Latinos, with many having no prior criminal convictions and not yet convicted of a crime, according to the UCLA School of Law. This creates a major fear factor within the Hispanic community and disrupts children’s education, jobs, and more.

“I don’t think it’s fair, I mean, I get having consequences so that we learn from it, but we’re standing up to what we think is right,” said Yalenah Guillermo.

During the protest, students held signs, played Hispanic music, rode in cars, and once everyone had met up at Heritage Park, it was recorded that Terrell Henderson and Eli Gallegos prepared a speech about the ice protest.

“So I had a strong belief in what I wanted to do, and since the older generation suggests that we are the future and we're the ones that make an impact, so I suggest us taking a stand and actually stepping out and speaking out and trying to make that difference,” Guzman stated.