“No one is free until we all are free – Martin Luther King Jr.,” “Close the camps,” “Abolish ICE” and “Families belong together”. These phrases appeared on cardboard posters held by approximately 200-300 Lincoln Southeast (LSE) students who protested against the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement – more commonly known as ICE – on Wednesday, Feb. 4.
Recent backlash against the large-scale ICE enforcement in Minneapolis, under President Trump’s command, has led to nationwide protests, calling for the removal of the organization, and has sparked mass advocacy for immigrants’ rights. These protests have increased within the past few months, after two U.S. citizens were killed by ICE agents in Minneapolis.
Several high schools in Nebraska have participated in walk-outs, including Lincoln North Star, Fremont High School and Millard West. Resistance has also appeared in other public spaces. For example, many attendees at the 2026 Grammys wore anti-ICE pins and shared their opposition to the organization while accepting their awards, and, recently, members of Team USA advocated against ICE’s presence in Milan during the 2026 Winter Olympics.
During the week of Jan. 26, word began to spread amongst LSE students about the ICE “walk-out”, which was shared more broadly through social media. Faith, an LSE sophomore, said she was approached by her friend Lauren (10), who asked if she’d be willing to help organize and promote the protest. To raise awareness, Faith distributed slips of paper, informing students of the walk-out. She also posted information concerning the protest on her Instagram story, and made an effort to spread the word verbally.
At 9:45 a.m. on Wednesday, Principal Tanner Penrod, other LSE administrators and multiple police officers began to spread out across B Lot and the LSE soccer field, in order to monitor the walk-out. After their 2nd period dismissal, participating students assembled at the back of the school, and made their way down 37th Street, Sheridan Blvd. and Van Dorn Street. One student chanted expressions including “ICE out” into a microphone, while others, holding posters, signs and one with an Iranian flag, echoed.
During the walk-out, there was a significant amount of bystander participation. Some cars who drove by the scene honked, waved, gave thumbs up and even made “rock and roll” signs with their hands. Others stepped out of their homes and cars to observe.
The protest spanned from the beginning of 3rd period through 4th period. According to Penrod, all students who walked-out were counted as absent for the periods that they missed.
Overall, most students involved advocated safely, and without violence or disruption. Faith noted that “everyone was peaceful and respectful for the protest, except for a few cars.”
Administrators and police were present for the duration of the event to help ensure the safety of the walk-out participants. Although the protest was not school-approved, students are not prohibited from exercising their First Amendment right to freedom of speech, and, if they choose to protest, they are expected to do so responsibly.
Faith said she was pleased with the turnout of the protest, adding, “I think everyone should exercise their First Amendment. The ability we have in our country to speak our minds freely is so crucial that everyone should use it for what they believe in.”
