SOUTH MILWAUKEE — Nearly 300 students at South Milwaukee High School walked out of classes on Friday to march down Oak Creek Parkway in freezing temperatures and falling snow, demanding action on an issue they say affects their entire community.
What started as a small gathering organized by around seven to eight students quickly grew into a major demonstration after lunch.
Watch here: Why hundreds of South Milwaukee students walked out of class on Friday to protest ICE.
"I imagined it as maybe 20 of my friends going outside with me to march," South Milwaukee High School senior and student organizer Shelby Brooks said.
The student-led protest drew support from community members as participants braved the harsh winter weather to make their voices heard.
"Since I can't vote right now, the most I have is my voice," South Milwaukee High School senior and co-organizer Noy Wessel-Vargas said.
Students marched from their school down Oak Creek Parkway in a strategic move designed for maximum visibility.
"We want as many people to see as possible," Brooks said.
The demonstration remained entirely student-organized, with organizers emphasizing their right to peaceful protest.
"We have the right to go out and do something like this," Brooks said.
Even freezing temperatures couldn't deter the young activists from their mission.
"There are kids younger than I am out here, and it's freezing cold. My hands are like super frozen," Wessel-Vargas said.
Brooks, who grew up in South Milwaukee, said the protest represents students advocating for their diverse community.
"This is the students meeting the needs of that diverse population," Brooks said.
For Wessel-Vargas, the issue carries personal urgency as family members in Minnesota face direct impacts.
"Those are people's families, and I can't even imagine losing my sister, losing my father and knowing that you can't really do anything about it," Wessel-Vargas said.
School administrators confirmed that students who participated in the walkout received unexcused absences, but organizers said the consequence was worth it.
"I'll take an absence, I'll take a tardy, I'll take whatever, but this is more important to me. This is my life," Wessel-Vargas said.
Students emphasized that nothing would prevent them from delivering their message.
"It's not even about right or left anymore. We bleed the same blood," Wessel-Vargas said.
"People think of this as an issue of citizens and legality. It's an issue of human beings. These are people, and we are all living in the same world," Brooks said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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