A Wisconsin parent blasted his children’s school board on Monday for allowing students to leave school for an anti-ICE walkout.
Some students in Hudson School District participated in an anti-ICE protest on Feb. 13, according to parent Joseph Rivera. Rivera, a father of two kids in the district, said Monday he warned the school board about the protest in advance.
The father noted he was not raising an issue with the topic of the demonstration, but was instead concerned about student safety.
“My concern is about district policy, student safety and the need for clear expectations and enforcement,” Rivera said.
Rivera claimed parents were told by Hudson School District that students would not be allowed to leave campus at the time of the protest. However, more than 100 students were still seen participating in the demonstration downtown, according to the father.
Student participants in the protest included both high schoolers and middle schoolers, the Hudson Star-Observer reported. Students reportedly held signs opposing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and returned to school after the demonstration.
A district official helped monitor students while they were near campus and local law enforcement directed traffic as participants marched, according to the Star-Observer.
Rivera voiced frustration with students’ participation in the protest, urging Hudson School District to follow a consistent policy when it comes to such demonstrations.
“Parents were told one thing and experienced another … That creates confusion, it undermines trust and it puts our students at risk,” Rivera said.
“We got lucky that no student was hurt,” he added. “We cannot rely on luck when it comes to the safety of our students.”
Students in school districts nationwide have participated in anti-ICE demonstrations as the Trump administration’s illegal immigration crackdown has ramped up. In February, more than 100 students at Mustang Public Schools in Oklahoma were suspended after they joined a walkout.
Additionally, nearly 2,500 students in Lee County, Florida were disciplined in February in connection with anti-ICE demonstrations, according to Gulf Coast News Now.
