A Chicago high school student was attacked after he held up a sign supporting ICE during an anti-immigration protest. Danny Spud said he was 'the only one that decided to hold a sign that said "I Love ICE"' when his classmates walked out to demonstrate against federal immigration enforcement.
Instead of letting him share his view, Spud said he was assaulted. 'I was assaulted—Just for standing up for law enforcement', he wrote on X. The teenager asked what was happening to America when supporting federal agencies gets you attacked by other students.
Spud's experience happened as anti-ICE walkouts swept through Chicago-area high schools. Students from Amundsen High School, Mather High School, Northside College Prep, and Roosevelt High Schoolwalked out of classand marched to River Park. They chanted 'ICE out' and held signs demanding change.
Roosevelt High School's principalDan Kramersaid that 'the ICE deportation activity has had a deeply traumatic impact on our families and school community'. He said students stood up to say the school 'stands tall in resistance to these tactics'.
But things haven't stayed peaceful everywhere. At East Aurora High School, about1,500 studentswalked out, and three ended up arrested. One officer got hurt, too.
Aurora Police ChiefMatt Thomassaid the videos people saw online only showed 'a brief excerpt from a nearly three-hour-long incident'. He claimed the walkout started peaceful but 'the situation later escalated in ways that created public safety concerns'. Young protesters demanded the chief resign after seeing footage of students being thrown to the ground.
Dozens of students at Oak Park and River Forest High School alsowalked outat 2 pm. The school's Garden Club led the demonstration. After leaving class, they marched to Congressman Danny Davis' office to push for action against deportations.
Many students said they're protesting because ICE operations scare their families.Krystal Portilla, 18, from Amundsen High School, remembered having nightmares when she was 9 about Trump detaining her father during his first term. Her dad was trying to get legal permanent residency back then.
When federal agents came to Chicago in large numbers recently, those old fears came back. 'Now they were at our doors, our neighbourhoods, my school', Portilla said. She added that when 'ICE came to Chicago I froze, suspended in terror'.
Angelique Guzman from Mather High School said agents are targeting people based on appearance. 'They look Hispanic and they only speak Spanish, so they are a targeted demographic', she explained. Even though her family has legal status, she still worries. 'If you are a minority, you are a target', Guzman said.
Source: International Business Times UK
