Bellingham students walk out of class to protest ICE deportations, violence
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Immigration and Customs Enforcement
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Dozens of students from several Bellingham high schools walked out of class Thursday afternoon to protest U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement (ICE) raids and civilian killings across the country.
Students took buses from their schools to the downtown Bellingham station and marched to City Hall to express frustration with the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement tactics.
“The point is to put attention to our cause, the cause of getting ICE. A bunch of children saying anything is a serious problem that they will pay attention to,” protester Johni Tom told The Herald. “They will pay attention to a bunch of kids screaming on the side of the road.”
“I’m trying to show support and trying to stand up for what’s right, because no one deserves this much hate just because of what you look like, speak [or] act,” said Willow, another protester. “That’s not what we’re supposed to be doing, and a lot of the laws actually support like protecting these people, and the president is trying to remove them all entirely.”
One protester who identified herself only as Maddy said her daughter helped organize the event. She said she felt fearful about ICE agents coming to Bellingham schools and recognized that students feel strongly about speaking out against their actions.
“I know the kids are upset. I’m upset. They’re tired of seeing their classmates get disappeared, and it can be difficult to continue going to school while this is going on,” Maddy told The Herald.
Bellingham Public Schools spokesperson Dana Smith confirmed that “student-initiated walkouts, especially when they travel off campus” are not sponsored by the district or individual schools. Still, she said when students participate in walkouts, the district recognizes they are “practicing protected expression, civic engagement and advocacy.”
“We respect our students’ advocacy for what they believe in, and at the same time our highest priorities include student safety and education, both of which we can most effectively support when students remain on campus,” Smith said.
Thursday’s walkout came ahead of a planned nationwide shutdown of businesses on Friday to protest ICE actions by impacting the national economy. Several Bellingham businesses are expected to participate in the shutdown, including the Cabin Tavern, Worn Again Thrift and Hammerhead Coffee.
This story was originally published January 30, 2026 at 5:00 AM.
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