KENOSHA — Dozens of students at Indian Trail High School walked out of class Thursday, holding signs and chanting in opposition to ICE, saying fear in their communities is spilling into the classroom.
Student organizer Mallory Kaufmann says the walkout was about more than protest, it was about safety.
“I created this to help get everybody to walk out because we want ice out of our community,” Kaufmann said. “We want everyone to feel safe, we can’t keep pretending this isn’t affecting people.”
The demonstration comes as immigration enforcement remains a growing concern for families. Now, a local school board member is pushing for stronger protections inside schools.
Earlier this year, the Kenosha Unified School District unanimously passed a ‘Safe Student’ resolution, designating non-public school areas as safe spaces and outlining steps schools should take if federal agents appear on campus.
School board member Carl Bryan says that the resolution should become official district policy.
“If one student feels safer — if 10 students feel safer — that’s what matters,” Bryan said. “We need to make sure that every student can go to school feeling safe, regardless of their immigration status, because if a student is not feeling safe, how could they possibly get the education they’re entitled to?"
The resolution includes requirements such as a judicial warrant before ICE can enter restricted school areas, notification procedures if a student is left without a guardian, and new internal protocols for school staff during unannounced visits.
Watch: Kenosha students protest ICE as school board member pushes student protection policy
Community members say the issue reaches far beyond school walls.
At Lomeli’s Meats & Produce in Kenosha, residents Angie Arzate and Claudia De la Peña say fear has changed their community's daily life — but they’re urging families not to pull children out of school.
“Our community deserves safety, dignity and respect,” Arzate said.
La Peña also said parents are deeply worried, but education must remain a priority.
"I'm very worried about my community," De la Peña said. "We have to stick together, support and help each other."
Bryan says the next step is getting the proposal on a future school board agenda, something that will require support from other board members and the board president.
For now, students say they plan to keep speaking out.
“We just want peace, and we want our communities to be safe," Kaufmann said.
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